


and i'm trying hard to make you love me (but i don't want to try too hard)

by windowbedsthebest



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2016-02-28
Packaged: 2018-05-05 21:45:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5391509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/windowbedsthebest/pseuds/windowbedsthebest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From LA to Kansas City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. la to las vegas

"Remind me again why we're doing this?" Tobin grunts as she helps Alex hoist her luggage into the car, peeling off her ragged UNC sweatshirt and sloppily tying it around her shoulders.  
  
"Because Syd left her car here last time she was in town, and she asked me to drive it back to Kansas City," Alex rolls onto her tiptoes to reach the trunk door and shut it closed.   
  
"And remind me again why I actually _agreed_ to doing this?" Tobin squints her eyes against the bright rays of the California sun, and Alex twirls the keys around her finger.   
  
"Because you're my best friend, and you love me," she shoots Tobin an innocent smile.  
  
"Are you sure that's it, Al?"   
  
Alex heaves out an exaggerated sigh before adding, "And I promised to buy you a new snapback."  
  
"Ah, yes, now it's coming back to me," Tobin smirks, and Alex rolls her eyes before the two of them load into the car.    
  
"Alright, here we go," Alex revs the engine, and Tobin toes off her flip flops, tucking her legs into her chest. "You got the map?"   
  
"Yup," Tobin pops her lips and twists her torso to grab it from the backseat. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she digs into her backpack to grab her GoPro, and Alex starts pulling out of the driveway when she notices Tobin starts recording a video.   
  
"Ok, Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 1. Minute 1. Today we're driving about 4 and a half hours to Vegas, and neither of us have had the urge to kill each other yet." She shoots a thumbs-up to the camera before panning the camera on Alex. "Say hi, Al."   
  
"Hi to whoever is actually gonna waste their time watching this," Alex keeps one hand on the wheel and uses the other to wave at the camera. "You'll be seeing me again when Tobin screws up the directions and gets us lost."  
  
Tobin shifts the camera back on her and rolls her eyes. "She's just upset she's doing all the driving today." She reaches to click off the device and stuffs it back in her bag. "This is gonna be a lot of fun."   
  
"I agree," Alex smiles. "Two gals. One car. Five states to drive through. A million things could happen."   
  
"That sounds like the tagline of a movie," Tobin muses. "I'd watch it."   
  
"Huh," Alex acknowledges. "I'd watch it too. Especially if it was actually based on us, and we got to choose who played us."   
  
"I would call Anne Hathaway," Tobin says, and Alex groans.  
  
"Not fair! You know I love Anne Hathaway," she complains, and Tobin pumps her fist into the air. "Fine, then I call Emma Stone."  
  
"Ah, she's a good one," Tobin says. "You wanna trade?"   
  
"Deal."   
  
"Cool. Hey, when's the next pit stop?"   
  
"Not for another couple hours," Alex says. "Didn't I tell you to go pee before we left?"   
  
"Uhhh, maybe," Tobin scratches the back of her head. "I...wasn't listening," she adds through clenched teeth, and Alex reaches over the center console to smack her. "Ow!"   
  
"Oh, c'mon, I didn't hit you that bad."   
  
"I know, but I'm still a little sore from the last time I beat you at arm wrestling," Tobin stifles a laugh, and Alex smacks her again, gnawing on the inside of her cheek to fight back a laugh of her own.   
  
"Only because I let you win."   
  


* * *

Alex shifts her weight on the balls of her feet as she waits for the gas tank to fill up, drumming her fingers along the side of the car when Tobin stumbles out of the convenience store juggling snacks in her arms. "Tobin, I said you could buy two snacks. _Two_. Not ten."   
  
"Sorry, mom," Tobin says teasingly, and the corners of Alex's lips curl upwards. "Don't worry, I didn't forget about you, I got us a pack of Nilla Wafers."  
  
"Do I wanna know why you didn't ask for a bag?" Alex helps Tobin open up the door to the passenger's seat so she can unload all the food.   
  
"Bags are for losers," Tobin shrugs and slides into her seat. "How far are we from Vegas?"  
  
"A couple hours." Alex removes the gas pump from the car and places it back onto the stand, twisting the cap back onto the gas tank and making her way back to the driver's side. "Another round of 20 questions?"   
  
"Yeah, it's my turn to think of something, hold on," Tobin says, and Alex fails to bite back a smile as the midfielder pinches her eyebrows together and purses her lips. "Wait, my turn to pick the music too." She interrupts her train of thought to grab Alex's phone from the cup holder and scrolls through the music library to find a song. "Oh my God."   
  
"What?" Alex's heartrate quickens, scanning her surrounding for any incoming cars as she merges back onto the highway.   
  
"You deleted our James Bay playlist?" Tobin says exaggeratedly, and Alex frowns.  
  
"I forgot to back it up to my laptop when I bought a new phone," she explains.   
  
"Rookie mistake, Al," Tobin shakes her head before settling on _Let It Go_ , and Alex figures they can remake the playlist over the next few days. "Ok, I thought of something."  
  
Alex goes to switch into a faster lane before exhaling a deep breath through her nose. "Ok, uh, is it a person?"   
  
"Yup."   
  
"Are they real, or are they part of a Harry Potter universe?"   
  
Tobin lets a long moment of silence pass between them before mumbling, "Harry Potter."  
  
"C'mon, you've used a Harry Potter character for the last 4 rounds!" Alex starts laughing, and Tobin covers her face with her hands before doing the same.   
  
"I'm sorry, I'm in withdrawal ever since I left my books at Cheney's place last month."  
  
Alex turns down the radio at the mention of their friend, twisting her lips before asking, "How are you dealing with all that by the way?"   
  
"I'm ok," Tobin shrugs. "I mean, it gets a little boring when I have some free time, and I can't read them, but-"  
  
"I meant Cheney's retirement, Tobs," Alex clarifies, and Tobin clicks her tongue.   
  
"Oh."   
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Umm," Tobin rubs her cheek to distract herself. "I mean, it stinks. And I'll miss her. A lot."   
  
Alex nods her head understandingly.   
  
"But I know she's doing what's best for her and her family. So I can't be too upset, you know?"   
  
"Yeah, I do," Alex comfortingly pats Tobin's knee. "If you're ever feeling down about that stuff, you know you can tell me about it, right?"   
  
"Yes," Tobin pretends to sound annoyed, but Alex can tell by the way she averts her gaze down to her lap that it means a lot for her to hear.   
  
Not many people get to see the vulnerable, softer side of Tobin Heath.   
  
Alex is just glad that she's part of the few who can.   
  
"Now, c'mon, guess who I'm thinking of," Tobin lightens the mood again, and Alex thoughtfully taps her chin.   
  
"Well, the past four characters have all been secondary characters, so I have a feeling that you're trying to psych me out this time and go with someone who would be so painfully obvious. So I will lock in my answer as Harry himself."  
  
" _Dammit_ ," Tobin slumps her shoulders in defeat, and Alex cheers triumphantly. "Ugh, I hate how much you can read me," she groans.   
  
"It was Chapter 3 of the manual I received when I agreed to be your best friend."  
  


* * *

"I just think it's a little ridiculous for people to say Peeta forced Katniss into have kids, you know? I mean, the girl led an entire rebellion and overthrew the government. I don't think she's gonna let a boy dictate how she should live her life," Tobin rambles an hour later, and Alex takes a sip out of the Snapple bottle they're sharing.   
  
She doesn't really have a strong opinion on the topic, but she loves how passionate Tobin gets when she talks about books, so she nods her head in agreement. "Excellent point, Tobs."   
  
"Don't even get me started on the readers who think she should've ended up with Gale," the midfielder shakes her head, and Alex drapes her wrist over the steering wheel.   
  
"Yeah. It's a bummer they made Liam Hemsworth play such an unlikeable character in the movies," she frowns, and Tobin voices her agreement.   
  
"That's what I'm saying!" she props her feet on the dashboard and sinks more comfortably in her chair, the candy wrappers surrounding her crinkling with each movement. "Sorry if I'm getting annoying with all the nerd talk, Al."  
  
"Hey, don't say that," Alex reaches over to poke her side. "It's a nice kind of nerdy. I like it," she shoots Tobin a smile, who returns it eagerly. "C'mon, vent more about your frustrations. I'm all ears."   
  


* * *

"I. Interstate." Tobin says quickly as they pass another sign.   
  
" _Ugh_ , I was gonna say that!" Alex says frustratedly before scanning the billboards for any word that starts with the letter I before Tobin can pull even further ahead. "I. Ice cream." Her eyes widen as she spots a billboard for the letter J. "J! Jamba Juice!"   
  
"Ah, _no_!" Tobin clutches her head. "You got lucky, J's are impossible!"   
  
"Bow down to the master," Alex states confidently.  
  
But 20 minutes later, she ends up losing. She gets stuck on X, and Tobin teases her for it for the rest of the ride.  
  


* * *

"Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 1. Minute...I don't know. I'm too lazy to do the math. Hour 4 and a half," Tobin says into her GoPro as Alex walks back to the trunk to grab their bags. "Al got mad at me for hogging the music, but other than that, no physical altercations have occurred."  
  
Alex snorts in amusement, shaking her head at the camera when Tobin pans to her. "We still have a lot of road to cover. I'm not counting anything out until we actually get to Kansas City."  
  
"We're in Vegas right now, spending the night at the Bellagio where we'll do some big kid things," Tobin takes her duffle bag from Alex, who continues to listen to her in fascination. " _Big kid things_ mean we're gonna get drunk. If you didn't catch on.   
  
"We leave tomorrow morning around 9, then we'll start making our way into Utah. Hopefully we'll survive tonight to do so." She clicks her GoPro off and stuffs it back into her bag.   
  
"So who do you plan on showing these video documentations anyway?" Alex smirks as they make their way inside the hotel.   
  
They both look like a mess; wrinkled clothes, hair sticking out in thousands of different directions from the 2 minutes Tobin thought it'd be fun to roll down the windows whilst cruising 90 mph on the highway.   
  
But Alex doesn't mind. She thinks they look kind of cute.   
  
Or, at least Tobin does.   
  
"I don't know, really," Tobin slips on her PDX snapback and slings her sweatshirt over her shoulder. "Maybe when I'm a boring old lady, all grumpy in my nursing home, I'll wanna look back on them and remember the wildest week of my life."   
  
Alex smiles softly before scrunching her nose. "You as a grumpy, old lady is weird to think about it."   
  
Tobin pushes the door open to the lobby, "Yeah, I hated myself when I said it."   
  
They earn a few whispers and stares as they make their way to the front desk, and Alex shoots people small smiles while Tobin timidly averts her gaze to the floor.   
  
"Ah, Ms. Morgan and Ms. Heath, what can I do for you this evening?" the employee at the check-in desk greets.   
  
"Hi, we're here for check-in," Alex props her elbows onto the counter.   
  
The employee, whose name tag reads Lucas, punches a bunch of keys. "Ok, I have you two for a one night stay with an 8:30 am check-out tomorrow morning."   
  
"Sounds like us," Alex nods, and Lucas punches another set of keys before handing them their room keys.  
  
"Alright, you'll be staying in room 2106."   
  
"Awesome, thank you," Alex says, and Tobin shoots him a polite wave before they head up to the elevators.   
  
"I don't that's something I'll ever get used to," Tobin says once the doors slide shut. "The way people look at you like you're an exhibit at the museum."   
  
"Yeah, I guess that's what being a reigning World Champion does to your rep," Alex teases, and Tobin belts out a genuine laugh. "Better than the pity looks we kept on getting in 2011."   
  
"Valid point," Tobin follows her out of the elevator once they get to their floor, and Alex swings open the door to their room to find only one bed propped against the wall as opposed to two. "Oh."  
  
"There's only one bed?" Alex pinches her eyebrows together. "That's weird, I thought we requested a room with two queens, not one king."  
  
"It's not a big deal," Tobin drops her bag onto the ground before plopping onto the sheets. "I'm pretty sure we've slept in the same bed more times than not, anyway."   
  
"Yeah, you're right," Alex shrugs. "It's just odd, I guess. That he didn't mention there was only one."   
  
"If you're worried about me drooling on you during the night, I promised I outgrew that," Tobin jokes, and Alex rolls her eyes, plopping down onto her back next to her friend.   
  
"I doubt you outgrew the kicking, though."  
  


* * *

"Is this hot enough to convince a guy that I'm into him when in reality I just need him to get me free drinks?" Tobin strolls out of the bathroom in tight, dark jeans and a black, low-cut, sleeveless top.   
  
Alex's eyebrows shoot up immediately, her eyes involuntarily scanning her best friend up and down. "Let's just say, if I were a stranger, I'd buy you all the drinks they offer at the bar."   
  
"Awesome," Tobin says triumphantly, smoothing out her hair and grabbing her phone off the bedside table. "You ready to go?"   
  
"Yup," Alex slips on her wedges and hoists herself up from the bed. "Let's get wasted."  
  


* * *

"And then," Tobin doubles over laughing in a failed attempt to compose herself, causing Alex to do the exact same, "and then, she says, ' _put your pants back on_!'"   
  
Alex starts laughing so hard she forgets how to breathe, gripping onto Tobin's arm to keep her balance. "Stop being so funny," she playfully shoves the midfielder, who starts to laugh impossibly harder. "I hate how funny you are!"   
  


* * *

Alex is out of it.   
  
Tobin's on the opposite end of the bar letting someone buy her another drink, while Alex is still on a high from her last round of shots.   
  
She started keeping track of how many rounds she had done, but she lost count after 6.   
  
She also can't stop giggling. _Everything is funny._    
  
Even when something isn't funny. She can't help but giggle just a little bit.   
  
She really needs to sober up.   
  
It's almost midnight, and she motions towards the bartender for another glass of vodka when she feels an arm snake around her waist.   
  
"Next round's on me," a scruffy guy in his mid-20 smirks, and Alex immediately shrugs out of his touch.   
  
She may be drunk, but she's not _that_ drunk.   
  
"Yeah, on second thought, I think I'm good," she roughly pats his chest, but instead of taking the hint, he nudges himself closer into her side.   
  
"Can I just say you did an amazing job at the World Cup earlier this year?" his words are slurred, and Alex has to fight back a sour face when she eyes the beads of sweat trailing down his forehead. "Seriously. You were awesome."   
  
"Thank you," the adrenaline in her system starts to simmer, and she continues to tiptoe away from the guy.   
  
"You wanna get out of here?" he reaches out to place a hand on her arm, which she quickly smacks away. "C'mon, we can go to my room and-"  
  
"Hey babe," Tobin, Alex's Lord and Savior, comes to the rescue, draping an arm around Alex's shoulders and nuzzling into her neck. "You good?"   
  
"Yeah, I am," Alex shoots the guy a hard glare, and he squints his eyes.   
  
"Wait, what? What is going on?" he starts to lose his balance, leaning onto the counter for support.   
  
"Were you hitting on my girlfriend?" Tobin frowns, and he's quick to shake his head.   
  
"No, no, of course not," he scratches the back of his head before rubbing his eyes. "I, uh, no. I wasn't."   
  
Tobin tips her head in acknowledgment before murmuring not-so-quietly into Alex's ear, "You wanna go back to our room?" she presses an innocent kiss to Alex's temple, but it's enough for Alex's heart to start beating out of her chest.   
  
"Yeah, let's go," she hurriedly grabs Tobin's hand to interlace their fingers together, curling her free hand around the midfielder's waist and shooting the guy a curt wave.   
  


* * *

"Thanks for saving me down there," Alex leans against the wall once they make their way up to the room to slip off her shoes.   
  
"Anytime, Al," Tobin collapses onto the bed, rubbing her temples with her fingers. "Shit, my head hurts."  
  
"How many rounds did you have?" Alex digs through her bag, grabbing her old UC Berkley shorts and a plain, gray t-shirt.  
  
"I lost count," Tobin slings an arm over her eyes to block out the light from the room. "Hey, neither of us should be driving too early tomorrow. Especially like this."  
  
"I'll call the front desk tomorrow morning and ask if we can extend our check-out time," Alex starts peeling off her clothes and slips into her pajamas, too exhausted to get up and get ready for bed. "Tobs, can you get dressed, or do you need me to help?"  
  
"No, no, don't worry about me," Tobin attempts to shrug off, but by the way she doesn't make any notion to move, Alex takes it upon herself to help her out.   
  
She scoots over to Tobin's duffle bag and pulls out her World Champions t-shirt (she's not sure if it's been in wash ever since the team got them considering Tobin wears it nearly every day) and gray cotton shorts.   
  
"C'mon, up," she walks over to her friend and slowly assists her in sitting upright, helping her change into a new set of clothes.  
  
"Thanks, Al, you're the best," Tobin digs the heels of her hands into her eyes.   
  
"It's the least I could do after you saved me from McHorny," Alex says lightly, and Tobin breathes out a tired laugh. "So we're even. Deal?"  
  
"Deal."   
  
"Good. Now I hate to say this, but I can't really brush your teeth for you, so you'll have to take care of that yourself."   
  
"I think I'll manage," Tobin averts her gaze down to her lap, and waves of hair fall over her face as a result. "Hey, Alex?"   
  
"Hmm?"   
  
"I think I forgot toothpaste."   
  
"Fine, you can use some of mine."  
  
15 minutes later, the two of them bury themselves under the covers, their bodies practically molded into one being.   
  
Tobin's out in a matter of minutes, and Alex takes in the serene, peaceful look on her face before falling into a slumber of her own.  


	2. las vegas to new harmony

When Alex flits her eyes open the next morning, it's as if someone placed a punching bag in the middle of her brain, and there's a tiny, tiny wrestler hitting it as hard as he can.   
  
Alex isn't very good at similes when she's hungover.   
  
She makes a move to check what time it is before realizing Tobin's entire body is sprawled out on top of her, restricting any parts of her body from moving other than her neck. "Shit."   
  
She winces when locks of Tobin's hair fall over her mouth, wiggling out from underneath her and slowly propping herself against the bed's headrest.    
  
When Tobin simply shifts her head on top of Alex's lap, Alex figures she won't be going anywhere for awhile.   
  
Not that it matters. If she tried standing up, she'd probably collapse onto the ground.  
  
Alex digs the heels of her hands into her eyes and reaches over Tobin to grab the water bottle and two of the Advils on the bedside table, slipping the pills into her mouth before effortlessly chugging them down.   
  
She lets out a yawn and starts threading her fingers through Tobin's hair, crossing her ankles together before remembering she has to call the front desk and ask if they can check-out this afternoon.   
  
"Hello, this is guest services, how may I help you?" the voice on the other end of the line picks up, and Alex pulls the phone an inch away from her ear to minimize the volume of the noise.   
  
"Hi, I would like to inquire about moving my check-out time to the afternoon," she softly strokes Tobin's temple with her thumb.   
  
"Of course, Ms. Morgan. The latest you could stay in your room would be noon, is that alright?"   
  
"Uh, yeah, that's fine," Alex mumbles, thanking the man quickly before hanging up the phone.   
  
Tobin slowly stirs awake shortly after, rolling onto her side and outstretching her arms over her head. "Hey, Al."  
  
"Hey," Alex smiles down at her. "How are you feeling?"   
  
"Like a bomb just detonated in my head," Tobin murmurs against the cloth of Alex's shorts.   
  
"Yeah, same here."   
  
"What time do we need to be outta here?"   
  
"Noon," Alex slides out from underneath her and swings her legs over the side of the bed. "Advil's on the bedside table, make sure you take a couple before we leave."  
  
"Ok," Tobin buries her face in Alex's pillow. "You showering?"   
  
"Yeah," Alex ties her hair into a lackluster bun and props herself up with her hands. "Should we order room service?"   
  
"Yeah, I'll go ahead and call while you're in the shower," Tobin says, and Alex plops the menu down on the bed next to her before dragging her feet into the bathroom.

\---  
  
"You know, I thank God for a lot of things," Tobin's voice is muffled as she talks with her mouth full, her hair still soaking wet from her shower. "But I never thank him enough for pancakes."  
  
She and Alex are sitting cross-legged across from each other on the bed, plates and plates of breakfast assortments in between them.   
  
Alex breathes out a laugh, spreading some more jelly onto her toast before taking a small bite. "I feel the same way about scrambled eggs."   
  
She almost says, _I feel the same way about you._ But she's not really in the mood to get all sentimental.   
  
"So what's the plan today?" Tobin takes a sip of her orange juice.   
  
"I was thinking we could drive about two-and-a-half hours and maybe hang out at the Kolob Canyons," Alex suggests. "We could just stay at a Holiday Inn nearby instead of driving another two-and-a-half hours."  
  
"Oh, that's sick," Tobin muses. "Sounds like a date then."  
  
\---  
  
"Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 2. Hour...something. We just left the Bellagio, and now we're heading over to Utah. Last night was...interesting. Wouldn't you say so, Al?" Tobin jokingly sticks her GoPro into Alex's face, and Alex playfully shoves it away.   
  
"I _would_ say so," she smirks before pointing at the camera, "Don't drink, kids. Especially you, Reece and Rylie. And Ryan and Zoe."  
  
Tobin laughs before pointing the GoPro back at her own face. "If you drink, we won't sneak you candy after your moms say you can't have anymore."  
  
"You really stuck it to 'em, Tobs," Alex says in amusement once Tobin stops recording.   
  
"Yeah, I know. I'm ruining my _cool aunt_ reputation." A few minutes of silence pass between the two of them before she speaks up again, "Do you ever wonder what you're gonna be like as a mom?"  
  
Alex purses her lips together, drumming her fingers along the steering wheel. "Sometimes," she shrugs. "When I was little, I had it all planned out; I wanted 3 kids exactly, and I had their names and birth order picked out and everything."  
  
Tobin starts cracking up, tipping her head back against her chair's headrest and clapping her hands. "Oh my God."  
  
"Oh, like you didn't?!" Alex teases, and Tobin shakes her head hiding her face in her lap. "I cannot be the only one who does that!"   
  
"That seems like a Kelley thing to do," Tobin's laughter finally settles down, and Alex shrugs in agreement.   
  
"You're right," she giggles. "I think you'd be a good mom."  
  
"Me?" Tobin raises her eyebrows, and Alex nods her head.  
  
"Yes, _you_ ," she takes a hand off the wheel to poke Tobin's side. "You have the biggest heart in the universe. You'd smother that child in the best way possible."  
  
"Yeah, I would," Tobin rubs the back of her neck with a shy smile. "I can't even think of when I'd have time to take care of a kid. Or who I'd even have it with," she admits. "But, that'd be so rad, Al."   
  
Alex's lips twist into a small smile. "You promise I get to be the godmother?"   
  
"You'll be at the top of the list," Tobin smirks. "Only if I get to be your kid's godmother, too."  
  
"Beat Jen and Jeri in an arm wrestling match, and you've got the gig."   
  
"Yes! I can't wait to spoil you rotten, kiddo," Tobin reaches over the center console to pat Alex's stomach through her tank top, causing Alex to laugh before smacking her hand away.    
  
"You're honestly so weird."  
  
\---  
  
"Yes, Syd, we're taking care of the car," Alex says into the Bluetooth connector an hour later. "Tobs hasn't spilled any food or drinks yet, which is something I didn't think I'd be able to say."   
  
"Tobin, if you get a speck of ketchup anywhere in the vehicle I will end your life," Syd's voice crackles through the speakers, and Tobin smirks before propping her feet on the dashboard.   
  
"But if there's a ginormous dent along the entire right side of the car, then that's ok?" she chides, and Alex has to stifle a laugh.   
  
"I will uninvite you from the wedding if you do anything to my baby," Syd has to try to fight back a laugh of her own. "In all seriousness, though, you guys are the best. Thanks for driving it over, Dom and I will make it up to you."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Alex dismisses. "Consider this our wedding present to you two."   
  
"I'll take a new pair of cleats actually," Tobin presses, and Alex smacks her arm.   
  
"You are a child," Syd starts laughing. "I'll get you a snapback."  
  
"Ah, yes!" Tobin exclaims. "That means I'll have two brand new ones to add into the rotation by the end of the week."   
  
"Alex bribed you with that too, huh?"   
  
"I knew it'd be the only way she'd deal with me for the entire week," Alex says.   
  
"Alright, well I'm about to head out to lunch with Dom and his parents, so I'll check in on you guys later. Thanks again," Syd says before hanging up the phone.    
  
\---  
  
 _"Say you'll remember me,_  
 _Standing in a white dress_  
 _Staring at the sunset, babe._  
 _Red lips and rosy cheeks_  
 _Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams_  
 _Wildest dreams,"_ Alex and Tobin belt out shamelessly, ignoring the way their attempts to harmonize with Taylor are 100% unsuccessful.  
  
\---  
  
Alex pulls into a parking spot at Zion National Park, turning the engine off before glancing at Tobin, who's fast asleep; her forehead is pressed against the window, her legs are tucked into her chest, and the bun on top of her head is ready to undo itself any moment.  
  
Instead of going to wake her up, Alex unbuckles her seatbelt and reaches into Tobin's backpack to grab her GoPro, clicking it on before panning the camera on herself.   
  
"Ok, uh," she bites down on her bottom lap as she tries to remember what Tobin usually says. "Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 2. We just got to the Kolob Canyons in New Harmony, Utah where we're gonna hike up a trail for about an hour or so.  
  
"Tobin is having a blast spending all this one-on-one time with me. Right, Tobs?" she turns the camera towards her friend, who doesn't even flinch, before giggling and turning it back on herself.   
  
"She looks really cute when she sleeps. And she's gonna kill me for saying that when she watches this," Alex clicks off the GoPro before stuffing it back in Tobin's backpack.   
  
\---   
  
"Sorry I fell asleep on you, Al," Tobin wraps her fingers around the straps of her backpack as she and Alex make their way inside the Visitor Center.   
  
"Don't worry about it, I was playing a dull playlist anyway," Alex holds the door open for the two of them and trails behind Tobin as they walk through.   
  
"I wouldn't say it was dull, I really liked," Tobin offers her a smile, and Alex is too oblivious to notice that her stomach does a single somersault at the simple gesture. "It was chill."  
  
" _Chill_ ," Alex repeats teasingly, and Tobin laughs.   
  
"Shut up," she bumps their shoulders together.   
  
"Good afternoon ladies, how may I help you?" the woman at the front desk smiles brightly.   
  
"We were just looking to hike on one of the trails," Alex says, shifting her weight on the balls of her feet.   
  
"Just two of you in the party?"   
  
"Yup," Tobin pops her lips together childishly, and Alex suppresses a tiny smile.   
  
"Ok, do you have an idea of how long you would want the hike to be?"   
  
Alex and Tobin exchange blank looks.   
  
"What are the options?" Alex asks.   
  
"There is Timber Creek Overlook, which would take about a half hour total without stopping, then the next shortest one would be Taylor Creek Trail, which would take about four hours total without stopping."   
  
"That's quite the margin," Tobin quips with a smirk, and Alex smacks her arm. "Should we just do Timber Creek?"   
  
"Yeah, we'll do that one," Alex smiles at the lady politely, and she nods her head, punches in a bunch of keys on the computer, and hands them two entrance passes.   
  
"Alright, maps are right by the door on your left where you'll go ahead and exit, and then you'll find a few park rangers to guide you if you have any questions."  
  
"Awesome, thank you," Alex says. Tobin does the same, and they start backing away from the desk when the lady speaks up,   
  
"Wait, I know you two. You won the World Cup this summer! For soccer!"   
  
"Yeah," Alex laughs. "That was us."   
  
"You girls were amazing," the employee beams. "My little sister watched every single match, and she told me she wants to be just like you when she grows up."   
  
Alex starts to feel a tug at her heart, and when she eyes Tobin in her peripherals, the midfielder is sporting a genuine, touched smile. "Well, tell her we say to never give up, and thank her for all her support."  
  
"Will do. Enjoy your hike," the girl grins, and Alex and Tobin shoot her one last goodbye and a wave before heading outside.   
  
\---   
  
"Ok, lemme think," Tobin says as they make their up the trail, and Alex laughs before taking a swig of her water bottle. "Oh! What's red and smells like blue paint?"   
  
Alex wipes a bead of sweat off her forehead with her arm. "What?"   
  
"Red paint," Tobin starts cracking up, and Alex shakes her head before doing the same.   
  
"Oh my God, that was even lamer than my last one," she playfully shoves Tobin's arm.   
  
"Then I did my job," Tobin smirks. "Your turn."  
  
\---  
  
"It's beautiful," Alex breathes out as she and Tobin outlook the vast array of trees that go on for miles and miles in front of them.   
  
They take a seat on a small patch of grass and take in the view, their shoulders just barely grazing.  
  
"You know, sometimes I forget how beautiful this world actually is," Tobin says quietly, the subtle breeze of the wind blowing a few stray hairs onto her face. "I'm so caught up in soccer or whatever that I forget what it's like to take a step back...and kind of just enjoy everything."  
  
A smile graces Alex's lips. "Yeah. Me too."   
  
A few minutes of comfortable silence pass between the two of them, and Alex opens her mouth to say something when Tobin drops her head on her shoulder. "Thanks for forcing me onto this road trip with you. I know it's only been, like, a day. But I'm having a lot of fun."   
  
"Thanks for being willing to deal with me, Tobs," Alex turns her head to place an innocent kiss on Tobin's forehead, and the midfielder breathes out a laugh.   
  
"Yeah, I've gotten accustomed to your odd habits over the years," Tobin sits back upright.   
  
"Like what?" Alex smirks.   
  
"Well, there's that tiny little snore you make when you sleep."  
  
"What? Almost everybody snores."  
  
"Yeah, but yours is weird because it's not loud enough to be a real snore, and it's not quiet enough to be nothing," Tobin laughs. "Kind of like this," she closes her eyes, tips her head back, and pretends to snore softly, and Alex giggles before covering Tobin's face with her entire hand.   
  
"I hate you," she teases, and Tobin starts laughing again. "You wanna know what you do?"   
  
"What do I do?" Tobin smirks.   
  
"You move around like crazy, and when I wake up in the morning, you're like this," Alex sprawls herself all over Tobin, who cracks up before jokingly shoving her off.   
  
\---  
  
"Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 2. We are currently at the top of the Timber Creek Overlook here at the Kolob Canyons," Tobin captures their view onto her GoPro. "The view is almost as pretty as this one," she quickly pans the camera to Alex's face, who shyly shakes her head. "What do you think, Al?"   
  
"I think," Alex squints her eyes to block out the sun, "I think looking at what we're looking at is a lot better than staring at my face. But that's just me."  
  
"Man, that humility is a turn-on," Tobin jokes and Alex tips her head back in laughter.   
  
"Did you know you're a loser?"   
  
"It's my most redeeming quality."  
  
\---  
  
"Alright, say cheese," Alex taps the screen on her phone to refocus the camera, and Tobin grins before outstretching her arms to her side. She snaps the picture before letting Tobin use her GoPro to take a selfie of the two of them. "Wait, lemme get one on my phone."  
  
Alex slings her arms around Tobin's shoulders and sticks her tongue out, and Tobin pretends to bite Alex's cheek when the picture is captured.    
  
Alex sets it as her new wallpaper on their way back.   
  
\---  
  
"Hey, I'm just gonna head to the bathroom," Tobin hands Alex her backpack once they get back to the visitor's center and runs to the restroom.   
  
Alex smiles at how dirty and ragged the thing is. But, of course, Tobin doesn't mind.   
  
She's about to take a seat on one of the benches when a little girl shyly approaches her. "Alex?"   
  
"Hi sweetie, what's up?" Alex shoots her a friendly smile.   
  
"Could I have your autograph?" she holds out a Sharpie and a map of the canyons.   
  
"Yeah, of course," Alex kneels down in front of her. "What's your name, kiddo?"   
  
"Maddie," the girl says, and Alex signs _for Maddie, never give up! -Alex Morgan._ "Thank you!" she grins when Alex hands her her stuff back.   
  
"My pleasure," she grins. "It was nice meeting you."   
  
"You too," Maddie starts walking away before turning back. "Oh, and Alex?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Your girlfriend is really pretty," she says giddily, and Alex pinches her eyebrows together, opening her mouth to say something when the girl runs back to her parents.   
  
"Hey," Tobin returns seconds later, and Alex purses her lips in realization. "You ready to go?"   
  
"Uh, yeah, let's go."  
  
\---  
  
"Tobs, remember to breathe," Alex's voice is laced with amusement as Tobin scarfs down her third piece of pizza.   
  
"A gal's gotta eat," Tobin shrugs with her mouth full, and Alex takes her napkin off her lap before reaching over the table to wipe some sauce off Tobin's cheek.   
  
"Hey, you wanna hear something?" Alex crosses her ankles, and Tobin's eyebrows shoot up.   
  
"You wanna propose to me?" she jokes, and Alex crumples up her straw wrapper before chucking it at her. "Childish move."  
  
"Do you wanna hear it or not?" Alex asks pointedly, and Tobin throws her hands up in defense.   
  
"Lay it on me."  
  
"When you went to the bathroom earlier, a little girl came up to me and asked for an autograph. And right before she left, she told me my girlfriend was really pretty."  
  
"But you don't have a girlfriend," Tobin doesn't catch on, and Alex rolls her eyes.  
  
"Exactly, she meant _you_ , dummy. She thought we were dating."   
  
Realization sweeps over Tobin's features. "Oh, damn."  
  
"Yeah," Alex breathes out a laugh. "Isn't that funny?"   
  
"Yeah," Tobin chuckles. "Man, are we that close?"   
  
"Looks like it," Alex props her elbows onto the table and rests her chin on her hands. "Can you imagine a world in which we were dating?"   
  
Tobin shakes her head. "No. Because everyone else wouldn't be able to handle all that awesome-ness."   
  
Alex laughs and nods her head in agreement, thinking to herself that maybe that wouldn't be so bad of a world to live in.   
  
\---  
  
"Try not to miss me too much tonight," Tobin crawls into her own bed at the hotel later that night, and Alex peeks her head out from under the covers.   
  
"Oh, I won't," she lies. "Because now I'll get to wake up without feeling like there's a dead body on top of me."  
  
"Very funny," Tobin quips, burying her face in her pillow as Alex flicks off the light switch next to her bed. "Goodnight, Al."  
  
"Goodnight, Tobs," Alex says softly. "Get ready for tomorrow, it'll be a long day of driving."  
  
"Looking forward to every minute of it."


	3. new harmony to vail

Alex steps out of the shower in her towel the next morning and smirks in amusement when she finds Tobin simultaneously brushing her teeth and juggling a soccer ball. "Hey, you're awake."   
  
Tobin, without taking her tooth brush out of her mouth, muffles something that Alex can't understand, so Alex simply kicks the soccer ball away from the midfielder before digging through her luggage for a pair of clothes.   
  
"So how many hours on the road today?" Tobin asks once she rinses out her mouth.  
  
"Seven," Alex slips on her undergarments and drops her towel to the ground. "Think you can handle it?"  
  
"You mean, do I think I can handle winning the alphabet game seven times in one day?" Tobin plops down onto her bed and pretends to think for a moment before quipping, "Ah, yes, I think I can."   
  
"You're funny," Alex shakes her head to effectively splash water from the tips of her hair into Tobin's face. "What's for breakfast today, Tobs?"   
  
"McDonald's?" Tobin smiles hopefully and tugs on the hem of her shirt to wipe the beads of water off her face.   
  
Alex doesn't let her eyes linger on the small sliver of abs that make themselves visible when she does so. "Fine. Only 'cause I'm in the mood for their hash browns."   
  
"Yes!" Tobin claps her hands together and springs out of bed before sprinting into the bathroom. "I'll be ready in 15."

* * *

"Is that mine?" Alex scrunches her nose when Tobin slips on a loose, gray TWLOHA tank top. "I've been looking for that for the past month."  
  
Tobin scrunches a ball of fabric in her hand and brings it up to her nose. "Yup. Definitely yours. It smells like you."   
  
"I hate it when you look better than me in my clothes," Alex mutters, and Tobin grins sheepishly before pulling her hair back into a sloppy bun.   
  
"Flattery won't make me let you win 20 Questions, Al," she says lightly, and Alex's chest rumbles with laughter.   
  
"Thought it was worth a shot," she plays along. "You ready to go?"   
  
"Yeah, just a sec," Tobin takes the messy pile of clothes on top of her bed and stuffs them carelessly into her duffle bag.   
  
"Someday, I'm teaching you how to neatly pack your things." Alex says in amusement, and Tobin shoots her a funny look.   
  
"Yeah, maybe the day after you actually beat me in chess."

* * *

"Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 3," Tobin narrates as she tosses her trash from breakfast onto the floor of Syd's car. "Just finished up a healthy breakfast from McDonald's," she prompts a laugh out of Alex. "And now I get to spend the next 7 hours in a car with this weirdo," she pans the camera towards Alex, who waves enthusiastically. "You know, we're basically on a date, Al."  
  
Alex takes her eyes off the road for a split second to glance amusingly at the camera. "If we counted every time we've spent alone together, we would have been on a lot of dates."   
  
"So I guess you could say we're basically in a long-term relationship," Tobin cocks her eyebrows, and Alex rolls her eyes playfully.   
  
"Basically."

* * *

 

"Sometimes I think about what I'd be doing if the whole soccer thing hadn't worked out," Tobin absentmindedly rakes her nails up and down her legs. "But then I realize...this is what I'm supposed to be doing, you know? Nothing could ever compete with it."  
  
A smile twitches at Alex's lips. "Can you imagine that? A life without soccer." She rolls her lips together before adding quietly, "A life without each other."  
  
Tobin exhales deeply and shakes her head. "Don't scare me like that," she says playfully. "That would suck balls."

* * *

"This is awful," Tobin muffles as she stuffs another bite of chili cheese fries into her mouth. "We have less than a month until our next game, and we're eating trash."   
  
"It pisses me off that it tastes so good," Alex finishes up her burger and wipes the grease off her fingers with her napkin, whereas Tobin licks the cheese remnants off her fingers and wipes them on her shorts. "Ew, Tobs."  
  
Tobin simply wiggles her eyebrows and takes a sip of her drink. "This is a no hate zone, missy," she tries to come off as serious, but the smile creeping onto her lips reassures Alex she's joking.   
  
"You're right, my bad," she plays along with a laugh. "I retract my criticism," she adds, kicking Tobin lightly under the table.   
  
"You know, I keep thinking about what you said yesterday," Tobin says. "About that little girl who thought we were dating."   
  
Alex doesn't notice the way her heart immediately starts to flutter. "Yeah?"  
  
"Uh-huh," Tobin threads her fingers through her hair. "It's kinda crazy. Like, not in a bad way. But the fact that we get along so well that someone would think we were together. It's cool."   
  
Alex's lips twist into a smile. "Yeah, I think it's cute." She's not 100% sure what she means by that, so she quickly changes the subject. "Ok. So five hours left on the road. Should we go on another snack raid after two and a half?"   
  
"I'm down," Tobin nods. "I already finished all my blue Jolly Ranchers."   
  
"Hey, I paid for those, and you're eating the other colors, too," Alex says, and Tobin sticks her tongue out at her.   
  
"You're not the boss of me, Mom," she teases, and Alex flicks a fry at her, covering her eyes with her hands when Tobin simply slides it between her lips after it lands on her lap.   
  
"I'm best friends with an idiot."  
  
"An idiot that isn't wasteful."

* * *

"Natalie Dormer or Megan Fox."   
  
Tobin tips her head back and groans. "Oh, c'mon, that's impossible."   
  
"I'm aware," Alex drums her fingers along the steering wheel. "What's your pick?"   
  
Tobin runs her hands over her face and defeatedly slumps her shoulders. "But they're both so hot."   
  
"C'mon, pick one or I win," Alex pokes the side of Tobin's thigh, and the midfielder sighs exasperatedly.   
  
"Ok, ok," she mumbles. "I guess...Natalie Dormer," she decides reluctantly, and Alex giggles at her distress. "Even though I know I made the right decision, I feel like I've sinned."

* * *

An hour later, a soft hum of City and Colour reverberates through the speakers, and Alex has her eyes trained on the road while Tobin wordlessly scrolls through her phone, chewing at her bottom lip.   
  
"You ok, Tobs?" Alex speaks up, and Tobin shoots her head up and nods.   
  
"Yeah, totally," she mutters, and when she simply goes back to her phone without another word, Alex knits her eyebrows together but decides not to think much of it.

* * *

"My bladder is eating me," Tobin whines against the glove compartment, her body tightly hunched over. "How long until the next bathroom break?"  
  
"Only 20 more minutes," Alex stifles a laugh. "You know, you didn't _have_ to chug down your entire water bottle all at once."  
  
"I did it to prove a point," Tobin sprawls herself over the center console.   
  
"And that point being?"   
  
".....that I'm awesome."  
  
Alex grins. "I can think of a few better ways to measure your awesome-ness."   
  
"Yeah?" Tobin challenges teasingly.   
  
"Yeah," Alex says. "But it's not the fact you scored a goal in the Women's World Cup Final this past summer, if that's what you thought I was gonna say," she jokes, and Tobin laughs.   
  
"Honestly never crossed my mind," she chides, and Alex giggles as she merges into a faster lane.

* * *

"You are not permitted to spend any more than what I'm handing you right now," Alex slowly hands Tobin a $10 bill inside the convenience store, not noticing the way the cashier is watching them with amusement.   
  
"Are you kidding me?!"   
  
"When you actually finish the snacks you bought yesterday, you can get upgraded to $20."   
  
"Fine," Tobin mutters and slumps her shoulders before trudging to the candy aisle.   
  
"You know, you two are amazing," the cashier calls out, and Alex pivots on her heels to find he's talking to her.   
  
"Oh, thank you," she says politely.   
  
"No, I really mean it. I think it's great that you two can act as role models for the LGBTQ community, especially being professional athletes."   
  
Alex bites the inside of her cheek to keep herself from widening her eyes. Should she tell him? That she and Tobin are just friends?   
  
No. No way. He's too genuine. She can't.   
  
"Well, thank you very much," she settles on saying, and the cashier shoots her a friendly smile before she walks over to Tobin. "He thinks we're dating," she says almost inaudibly, and Tobin looks up at her curiously.   
  
"Because you gave me a price limit on my snacks?" her face twists with confusion, and Alex rolls her eyes.   
  
"No, not that. Well, I don't know exactly why, to be honest. But I sorta started playing along, so I need you to, too."  
  
Tobin narrows her eyes. "You _sorta_ started playing along? Or you _straight-up_ started playing along?"   
  
Alex swipes her tongue along her bottom lip. "Ok, I straight-up did. So just...don't be weird about it when we pay."   
  
"Ok, yeah, sure," Tobin nods her head without another question, and Alex helps her pick out some snacks before grabbing a Snapple.  
  
"You two all set?" the cashier asks once they set their stuff down on the counter.  
  
"Yup," Alex pops her lips together and hands him the money, oblivious to the fact Tobin instinctively brushes their hips against each other. "Great, thank you very much," she asks once the transaction is finished.   
  
Tobin shoots the guy a tight-lipped smile and grabs the bag of snacks off the counter, and without thinking, Alex interlaces their fingers together on their way out, not letting go until they have to slide into their respective sides of the car.

* * *

They're 2 hours from Vail when Alex pulls over at a rest stop.   
  
"You sure you don't want me to drive, Al?" Tobin asks as Alex climbs into the backseat to take a quick nap.   
  
"Tobin, you forgot your license at my place, I'm not letting you drive without one," Alex says.   
  
"C'mon, it's only a big deal if I get caught," Tobin points out, and Alex picks up a candy wrapper off the ground and throws it at her.   
  
"Which you will," she says, "because you never follow the speed limit."  
  
"Fine," Tobin huffs defeatedly. "What time should I wake you up?"   
  
Alex sprawls herself across the seats and rolls onto her side. "Give me 20 minutes."    
  
"Got it."  
  
"And don't finish the Snapple."  
  
"Got it again."   
  
"Good."

* * *

"Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 3. We're a couple hours from Vail, and my chauffeur fell asleep on me," Tobin points the camera on Alex, who looks as dead as a log. "I've been tempted to throw my shoe at her just to see how she reacts, but I don't want to die."

* * *

"There's not enough snow to ski obviously," Alex murmurs as she scrolls through her phone in the parking lot of some convenience store. "So we could go to the Betty Ford Alpine Gardens? Unless you think that's dumb."  
  
They weren't scheduled to stop for another half hour, but Tobin had to pee again.  
  
"I don't think it's dumb," Tobin validates. "I think it'd be cool. How far away are we?"  
  
Alex maps it out on her phone. "Just about 10 minutes." She clicks her phone off, drops it into one of the cup holders, and revs the engine back up. "You sure you don't have to pee again? It's been a whole 5 minutes."  
  
Tobin shakes her head and bites down on her bottom lip to hide a smile. "Very funny."

* * *

When they pull into the lot, Tobin's jaw drops. "The World's Highest Botanic Garden?" she looks like a little kid as she peeks her head out the window, and Alex suppresses a laugh. "That's sick, dude."  
  
"You know, if I've learned anything about you since we became friends 7 years ago, it'd be that it doesn't take much to pique your interest."  
  
"Do you know what I've learned about you?" Tobin turns to face her and tucks her legs into her chest.   
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"That you could live solely off of pink pre-wrap," she jokes, tugging playfully on the strip wrapped around Alex's head.   
  
"Get away from me," Alex squirms out of her touch with a laugh. "If you ruin my hair, I am dropping you off on the side of the highway."

* * *

Alex and Tobin make their way to Mountain Meditation Garden after signing a few round of autographs and taking some pictures, their sides occasionally brushing against one another as they walk.  
  
"I can't believe they captured every single flower in the world and stored them in this single garden," Tobin jokes, and Alex nearly doubles over laughter.   
  
"Your sense of humor is so stupid," she nudges Tobin's arm, and the midfielder can't help but laugh at herself. "I think that's why I keep you around," she slings an arm over her friend's shoulders, and Tobin responds by naturally slipping her arm around Alex's waist.    
  
"I know why."  
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"Yeah. Because I'm the only person you can deal with one-on-one for nearly a week without wanting to gouge your eyes out."   
  
"Huh," Alex nods in acknowledgment. "I guess you're smarter than I thought you were," she jokingly jostles Tobin's head with her hand.

* * *

"This is beautiful," Alex breathes out as she takes a seat near the edge of the grass, right in front of the bottom of the waterfall. "How are we the only two people here?" she glances to her right and knits her eyebrows together when Tobin isn't in sight, about to search and look for her when the midfielder plops down to her left.   
  
"Here," she says, sheepishly handing Alex a bright yellow flower. "I doubt we're even allowed to take them off the bushes. But I wanted you to have it."   
  
Alex's lips twist into a sappy smile. "Aw, Tobs, I-"  
  
"Ok, let's not get all sentimental here," Tobin interrupts her quickly, propping her elbows on her knees. "I just...I know it's dumb. But I'm not really good at expressing how thankful I am to have you and everything you do for me. So. Yeah."   
  
Alex feels her heart swell, unable to convey the giddiness sprouting at the pit of her stomach. She grins hard enough that she thinks her face might fall off before knocking Tobin down to the ground in a bone-crushing hug.   
  
"Shit, Al," Tobin laughs, wrapping her arms around Alex's back as Alex hides in the crook of her neck.   
  
"You're the best friend I've ever had," Alex murmurs against her skin. "Don't ever forget that, ok?"   
  
Tobin's chest rumbles with laughter underneath her. "Of course not. You're mine, too."  
  
"And this isn't dumb," Alex holds up the flower once they sit back upright. "I'm gonna keep it forever."  
  
"That'll last, like, 2 days tops without water, you know," Tobin smirks.   
  
"I don't care," Alex bumps their shoulders together. "I'm holding onto it for as long as possible."  
  
They make effortless chatter for the next 20 minutes, and Alex takes a swig out of her water bottle when Tobin hoists herself up and starts to peel off her shirt.   
  
"Tobin, what the hell are you doing?" Alex hisses, and Tobin simply smiles down at her.  
  
"Haven't you ever wanted to jump into a waterfall before?" she asks, and Alex whips her head in every direction to make sure no one's around. "Just for 5 minutes," she grabs her GoPro out of her backpack.   
  
"This is most definitely not allowed," Alex tries not to let the sweat glistening off Tobin's abs distract her. What is she, a teenage girl?   
  
"It is if you're a world champion," Tobin ties her hair into her half-bun-half-ponytail.   
  
"I don't think that argument is as strong as you think it is," Alex peers at Tobin's shorts, which ride dangerously low around her hips.   
  
"Oh, c'mon, Al, live a little," Tobin smacks her gum, and Alex licks her lips.   
  
"Ok, fine," she mutters, stripping her shirt off and watching as Tobin turns on her GoPro and jumps right into the water.   
  
"Alex, get in here," she runs her free hand down her face and points the GoPro at her, and Alex rolls her eyes before doing so, shrieking once the water hits her abdomen.  
  
"Fuck," she cusses with a tiny laugh. "It's freezing."   
  
"But it's awesome," Tobin points out, and Alex has to admit, it's pretty cool.   
  
Tobin pans the camera onto herself, "Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 3. And I'm in the most beautiful place on earth with my favorite person in the world," she switches the camera onto Alex, who timidly covers her face with her hands.   
  
"Shut up," she playfully covers the camera with one of her hands, and Tobin laughs before shutting it off and throwing it back onto the grass.   
  
They race from one end of the waterfall to the other and back, and Alex is winning by a narrow 5 seconds when Tobin hops onto her back and brings her down.   
  
Alex does the same during the rematch.   
  
She's gazing at the sky, admiring the way the sun rays hit the trees, when she gets splashed with a huge puddle of water.   
She tackles Tobin when she finds the midfielder sporting a mischievous smirk, her grip nearly slipping off because of the fact their bodies are soaking wet.   
  
Tobin holds her steady by her elbows, and by the time Alex regains her balance, she catches her friend's eyes flicker down to her lips.   
  
Alex's heart starts to beat out of her chest she Tobin inches her face an agonizing millimeter closer, and Alex can feel her friend's breath on the side her mouth when they both snap out of it.   
  
"Um," Tobin swallows deeply. "We should..." her eyes don't leave Alex's lips as she speaks, causing Alex's knees to buckle beneath her. "We should probably start drying up. We don't have any towels or anything."  
  
Alex stares at her blankly before nodding her head. "Yeah. Yeah. You're right," she murmurs, sighing deeply as she follows Tobin out of the water.

* * *

They grab dinner at a small diner nearby, giggling childishly as they walk through the front door with damp clothes and wet hair.  
  
When they get seated at their table, Tobin pulls out her hair tie so her brown locks fall in messy tangles all over her shoulders.   
  
Alex thinks she's never looked better.

* * *

 

 __"Tobin?" Alex speaks up nearly half an hour after they settled into their separate beds.  
  
"Uh-huh?"  
  
"Can I sleep with you? I think there's a draft," she says, and Tobin murmurs a tired yeah before letting Alex slip next to her under the covers.   
  
A few minutes of silence pass before the midfielder speaks up, "Al?"   
  
"Yeah?" she notices Tobin swallowing a lump in her throat.  
  
"Are you gonna leave Portland for Orlando?" Tobin's voice is incredibly small, and Alex's words get stuck in her throat. "I-I won't be mad or anything. I just...I read reports earlier today in the car. And I wanted to say something but we were having such a good time that I couldn't."  
  
Alex lets out a shaky breath. "I don't know," she says honestly. "But the only reason I'm considering it is because of the publicity it could bring the league."  
  
Tobin doesn't say anything. She just nuzzles her face into Alex's neck and wraps an arm around her torso.   
  
Alex feels like shit. The last thing she wanted was from Tobin to hear the news through the media. At least Cheney told her about her retirement in person before she made an announcement. "I'm sorry," she chokes out lamely.   
  
"You don't have to be," Tobin mumbles softly, drifting asleep without another word.   
  
Alex doesn't wanna sleep, afraid Tobin's too upset with her, but by the way the midfielder holds her closer than usual the entire night, she's out in a matter of minutes.


	4. vail to colby

Alex and Tobin wake up around the same time the next morning, and Tobin is outstretching her arms above her head when Alex rolls over to face her. "Morning."   
  
"Good morning, Al," Tobin yawns heartily before shooting Alex a genuine smile.   
  
"Second to last day on the road," Alex mumbles, and Tobin purses her lips.   
  
"Already?" she raises her eyebrows, and Alex nods. "We better make these next two days the best ones yet then."  
  
"Yeah, for sure," Alex breathes out a laugh, nuzzling further under the covers before asking, "Do you wanna talk about last night?"   
  
Tobin lifts her shoulder up in a shrug. "I'll miss you. More than you know."   
  
"I'll miss you, too," Alex reaches out to cup the side of Tobin's face, stroking her temple softly with her thumb. "Nothing's set in stone, though."  
  
"Yeah, I know, but," Tobin chews on her bottom lip as she searches for the right words to say. "You'll do anything for the growth of the league. This just happens to be your next move. And I'll support you every day for it."   
  
Alex pinches Tobin's cheek playfully before retracting her hand. "Thanks, Tobs. That means the world to me."   
  
"Of course," Tobin murmurs. "So a brand new NWSL team, huh?" she says lightly. "That's awesome."  
  
"Uh-huh," Alex sighs deeply. "I don't know when they're making an official announcement, but yeah, it's the real deal."   
  
"I'll be cheering you on all the way from Portland," Tobin smirks. "Unless I'm playing you, of course. Then I'll kick your ass."  
  
Alex bursts out laughing, pressing her face into her pillow. "In your dreams, Heath."

* * *

"Colby? Isn't that, like, some Korean barbecue dish?" Tobin knits her eyebrows together as she Alex load up the trunk again with their bags.   
  
Alex rolls her eyes. "That's _kalbi_ , Tobs," she corrects, and Tobin makes an O shape with her mouth.   
  
"So what can we do out there?" Tobin grunts as she shuts the trunk closed before slipping into the passenger's seat.  
  
"Nothing. Literally nothing," Alex revs the engine and adjusts the rearview mirror. "Western Kansas is no New York City."   
  
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Tobin mumbles, grabbing Alex's phone out of the cup holder and scrolling through her music before settling on the latest Colony House album.   
  
"No GoPro update?" Alex asks teasingly as _Caught Me By Surprise_ reverberates through the speakers of the car.   
  
"Oh, I forgot!" Tobin exclaims. "Shit, I left it in the trunk," she tips her head back in frustration. "Eh, it's fine. We'll just make the next update twice as awesome."  
  
"Ok," Alex bites back a smirk, turning up the volume of the music as she merges onto the highway. 

* * *

 

"Watcha eatin', Al?" Tobin sticks her GoPro in Alex's face as the two of them are catching a quick breakfast at a small diner.  
  
Alex narrows her eyes before muffling, "Omelette."  
  
"Can I have a bite?" Tobin asks with a hopeful smile, and Alex shoots her a fake-annoyed look before scooping a bite and feeding it to the midfielder.   
  
"Let this be proper documentation that Tobin Powell Heath has a problem with eating other people's food," Alex says into the camera, and Tobin throws a straw wrapper at her from out of the frame. "She's also too lazy to feed herself."  
  
"Scoring a goal in the World Cup Final takes some energy out of you," Tobin jokes, and Alex nearly chokes on her food, doubling over the table with laughter.  
  
"Right, I forgot about that," she giggles. "I take back my statement," she teases, and Tobin points the GoPro at herself before wiggling her eyebrows.   
  
"So I was looking at things we could do in the one and only Colby, Kansas in the car," Tobin starts once she stops recording.    
  
"Yeah?" Alex takes a sip of her orange juice. "Any findings?"   
  
"The only remotely stimulating result I got was the Prairie Musuem of Art and History," Tobin stuffs a bite of pancake into her mouth. "Are you in or are you in?"   
  
Alex presses her lips together in a smile. "I'm totally in."

* * *

"Aw, don't be mad, Al," Tobin tries to hide her grin as Alex huffs audibly.  
  
"I'm not mad," she mutters. "Losing 20 Questions for the fifth time in a row isn't something I'd get mad about, ok?" she drapes her wrist over the steering wheel, and Tobin purses her lips.   
  
"You're right," she plays along. "My bad."

* * *

"Hi, can I have one large order of chicken fries please?" Alex calls out to the drive-thru machine, leaning further out the window when there's no immediate response from an employee.   
  
"Um, ma'am, this isn't Burger King," calls out the voice from the speakers, and Alex widens her eyes while Tobin clamps a hand over her mouth. "This is Taco Bell."  
  
"Oh, shit," Alex says under her breath, and Tobin doubles over in her seat, her ribs aching as she starts to crack up. "I'm so sorry," her cheeks turn bright red, roughly smacking Tobin's leg. "Have a nice day," she drives away before the man has a chance to squeeze another word in.

* * *

"Jeremy Adams. I was in 7th grade, and we kissed under the monkey bars," Tobin says an hour later in the car, and Alex stifles a laugh. "It was fine, at first, then he tried to stick his tongue in my mouth, but he obviously didn't know how to do it so he basically licked my lips," she continues, and Alex doubles over the wheel laughing. "Shut up, it's not funny," Tobin struggles to suppress a laugh of her own.  
  
"It's kind of funny," Alex points out, and Tobin shakes her head before her shoulders start to shake with laughter.   
  
"I hate you," she mumbles, and Alex regains her compusure after a couple minutes.   
  
"Ok, _my_ first kiss was with Stephen McNulty," she begins. "We were in 6th grade at a birthday party, and all the kids were in the basement and the parents were upstairs so we decided to play spin the bottle."  
  
"Oh my God, no you didn't," Tobin hides her face with her hands, and Alex shakes her head, ashamed.   
  
"And it was weird because I didn't even close my eyes when it happened," Alex starts to giggle, and Tobin peeks at her through her fingers. "And I remember when he pulled away, I was so unimpressed that I almost asked to redo it with someone else."  
  
"Middle school was the bane of my existance," Tobin deadpans, and Alex reaches over to high-five her.   
  
"You're not wrong." She swallows deeply before asking, "So what about a girl?"   
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You know. Your first kiss with a girl," Alex says awkwardly, internally slapping herself for ruining the mood.   
  
" _Oh_ ," Tobin recovers for the both of them, a hint of teasing in her voice, and Alex rolls her eyes.  
  
"Don't be weird," she smirks, and Tobin heaves out a sigh before propping her legs up on the dash board. "I was at a UNC party with Kling," she starts, and Alex purses her lips knowingly. "And...we were having a lot of rum...so I hooked up with a girl on the lacrosse team."   
  
"No way!" Alex exclaims, and Tobin slowly nods her head.   
  
"Way," she threads her fingers through her hair. "How bout you, Ms. Morgan?"  
  
" _Welll_ ," Alex enunciates. "Mine was basically the same thing. I was at Berkeley, and my senior year, I was at a party with some of my teammates, and it just kind of happened."  
  
"Huh," Tobin acknowledges. "You know what I learned from my two aforementioned experiences?"   
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Kissing a girl drunk feels even better than kissing a guy sober."  
  
Alex grins in agreement. "Valid point."

* * *

"Where are you two hoes, you're the only ones missing from squad," Kelley's voice muffles through the car's Bluetooth.   
  
"Please never talk like a teenage girl again," Tobin quips, and Kelley groans from the other end of the line.  
  
"Sorry Mom," she shoots back. "Seriously, where you at?"   
  
"Uhh, somewhere in eastern Colorado," Alex rests one of her elbows on the window ledge and runs a hand through her ponytail. "I'm surprised you all aren't drunk out of your minds right now."  
  
"Trust me, if it wasn't 11 in the morning, we would be," Kelley says lightly. "How long have you guys been on the road?"  
  
"Four, glorious days," Tobin sighs, and Alex sports a small smile. "Hope you're not having too much fun without us."  
  
"I don't even know what the word 'fun' means when you aren't around," Kelley jokes, and Tobin and Alex laugh heartily. "Alright, we're heading out to lunch I gotta go."  
  
"See you, Kell, tell everyone we say hi."   
  
"Tell everyone that I'm better than you at FIFA? Alright, got it," Kelley entertains herself before hanging up the phone.

* * *

Tobin's dead asleep a couple hours later, her sweatshirt draped over her like a blanket, and Alex wonders why she didn't just put it on like a normal person.   
  
Then again, she remembers, Tobin doesn't ever like to do things the conventional way.   
  
She glances over at her friend and admires the relaxed, untainted look on her face, not wanting to tear her eyes away but figuring she should probably focus her gaze on the road.   
  
_Can't Help Falling In Love With You_ starts softly crooning the speakers of the car, and Alex's eyes involuntarily flicker to Tobin for a split second before she abruptly changes the song.   
  


* * *

"Is this Colby?" Tobin peers out the window of the car, and Alex takes in their surroundings.  
  
"Considering I haven't seen any signs of civilization for the past 40 minutes, I think it is," she eases the gas, not having any gage as to what the speed limit is.  
  
Tobin pulls her GoPro out of her backpack and turns it on. "Tobin and Alex's road trip. Day 4. We are officially in the middle of nowhere, and we are basking in every second of it," she get a good view of the vastness surrounding them, and Alex breathes out a laugh. "Any comment, Al?"  
  
Alex thinks long and hard before smirking, "Syd and Dom better appreciate how awesome we are for doing this."

* * *

Half an hour later, Tobin and Alex are walking through the Prarie Museum of Art and History; Tobin's hands are stuffed deeply into her pockets, and Alex silently admires the works of art on the walls.   
  
They find themselves in an exhibit filled with mixed media art, and Alex snaps out of her daze when she hears Tobin mumble, "This is insane."  
  
"Almost as good as the finger painting you made me, Tobs," Alex teases, and Tobin's laugh echoes throughout the room.   
  
Alex doesn't remember when that laugh became her favorite. She just knows that whenever she hears it, it's the best sound in the world.   
  
"Tell me that when it's no longer hanging on your bedroom wall," she says, and Alex smiles.   
  
She has a point. When Tobin gave her the mess of a creation out of the blue last year, Alex hung it up without a second thought.  
  
A few other people enter the room, so Tobin and Alex shuffle to the side, and Tobin's admiring one of the abstract paintings on the wall when she says, "You know, I think art is one of those things..." she drags her teeth across her bottom lip as she finds the right words to say. "You forget how beautiful it is. Until you see it up close," she slowly turns her head to Alex, who's standing close enough to her so their shoulders barely graze.   
  
Alex swallows deeply and clears her throat, thinking for a split second there might be a double meaning behind Tobin's words. "Yeah, you're right," she says lamely, and Tobin simply shifts her gaze to her feet, absentmindedly digging her heels into the ground.   
  
They look around the museum for another half hour or so, and Alex is about to suggest grabbing dinner when Tobin nudges her side.   
  
"Let's play hide and seek," she says quietly, a mischievous smile playing at her lips.    
  
"Tobin," Alex chastises, and Tobin looks at her expectantly.  
  
"C'mon, don't tell me you don't think it'd be totally fun," she presses, and Alex stops walking, seriously considering any possible consequences.   
  
There's getting in trouble, for one.   
  
But how many more times are they gonna have the opportunity to do something like this in a place they'll probably never be at again?   
  
"Ok, fine," she mutters, and Tobin cheers triumphantly. "But we only stay on this floor, and no running or making a scene."  
  
" _Alright_ ," Tobin draws out. "You count first," she sprints towards one of the near corridors, completely disregarding Alex's second rule.

* * *

"I can't believe you almost got us kicked out," Alex muses as the two of them hurriedly make their way back to the car.  
  
"It's not my fault the little boy was looking somewhere he wasn't supposed to be looking," Tobin grins, swinging the passenger door open and hopping into her seat. "I was ready to go another two rounds."  
  
"Oh, so you could take another half hour to find me?" Alex teases, and Tobin imitates her mockingly.   
  
"Yeah, yeah," she shrugs it off. "Where should we eat for dinner? Taco Bell?"   
  
Alex fails to stifle a laugh, recalling the embarassing event from earlier that day. "Shut the hell up."

* * *

"We did not just pull over to the side of the road for this," Alex mutters.   
  
Tobin lightly smacks Alex's thigh with her free hand. "One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war."  
  
"Five, six, seven, eight, try to keep your thumb straight."  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Don't be a baby, Tobs."  
  
"Al, you're cheating!"  
  
"You can't _cheat_ at thumb wrestling!"

* * *

They do this once in awhile.  
  
They shield themselves from the rest of the world, under the covers of their bed, their limbs tangled together.   
  
And they just talk. About anything and everything that comes to their mind.   
  
"I know I kinda played it off in the car the first day we were on the road, but," Tobin licks her lips, "I'm really gonna miss Cheney."  
  
Alex shoots her a sad smile and an understanding nod.   
  
"I mean, me and A-Rod...we don't know what to do without her. She's always been our rock, you know?" she swallows a lump in her throat. "It's just-it's scary. Thinking of a team without her on it."   
  
Alex exhales a shaky breath. It always gets to her when Tobin strips down and allows her vulnerability to overtake her usually laid back demeanor.  
  
"When I was told about Orlando," she starts, "my first reaction was that there was nothing that could make me leave Portland. I love the city, I love the fans," she absentmindedly fiddles with the ends of Tobin's hair. "And then...and then there was that part of me that didn't want to leave you."   
  
Tobin's lips twitch into a faint smile. If Alex didn't know her any better, she would have missed it. "Me?"   
  
"Yes, you," Alex pokes her lightly. "The thought of not seeing you every day was...really sucked," she admits. "I'm not good at the whole life thing without you."   
  
"If I was selfish, I would tell you to stay," Tobin whispers, and Alex doesn't realize they're inches apart until she can feel Tobin's breath on her face. "But as your best friend, and as a teammate," she sighs deeply. "Just like I said this morning. It's the right move."   
  
Alex smiles before burying herself into Tobin's side. "FaceTime every day?"   
  
Tobin smirks. "Every day."


	5. colby to kansas city

Alex flits her eyes open the next morning and feels Tobin pressed up against her backside, the tips of the midfielder's fingers lightly grazing the sliver of Alex's stomach that's exposed from her ridden-up shirt.  
  
She outstretches her arm to grab her phone off the nightstand, her stomach doing the tiniest of somersaults when she lays eyes on her wallpaper.  
  
The picture of her and Tobin at the Kolob Canyons. She hasn't changed it ever since that day, and if she's being honest, she doesn't know if she ever will.  
  
She carefully rolls over in bed and smirks at the sight in front of her; Tobin's hair covers half of her face, her mouth is slightly open, and one of the sleeves of her tank top drapes lazily off her shoulder.  
  
She snaps a quick picture before texting it to the group chat Pinoe titled  _The Gals_ , with the caption _Someone's ready to see the rest of the gals today!!_  
  
Tobin's gonna murder her later for it. No exaggeration. But she looks so cute right now, Alex doesn't care.

* * *

 "Al, check it out," Tobin grins as she balances her entire body weight on top of her soccer ball, gaining enough equilibrium to crouch into a sitting position.  
  
Alex grabs her phone and takes a picture of Tobin sticking her thumbs up before biting back an amused smile. "You're a child."  
  
"A talented one."  
  


* * *

"Last day on the road," Tobin frowns at her GoPro as she and Alex walk out to the car an hour later. "We would've left the hotel earlier, but Alex wouldn't stop crying up in the room," she pans the camera on Alex, who plays along and nods her head.  
  
"Yup, I'll miss having this idiot all to myself," she places her hand on top of Tobin's head, playfully jostling it back and forth. "She won't admit it, but she's gonna miss me, too."  
  
Tobin points the camera back onto herself and mouths _no_ before clicking it off. "So that picture you posted in the group chat this morning."  
  
Alex pinches her eyebrows together before remembering. _"Oh, yeah,"_ she giggles. "That was funny. Kelley couldn't stop laughing."  
  
"At first, I started plotting your murder," Tobin opens up the trunk once Alex unlocks the car. "But then, I thought about something."  
  
"Yeah? And what was that?" Alex tosses their bags inside, leaning against the side of the car to hear what the midfielder's gonna pull on her.    
  
"I look adorable when I sleep," Tobin jokes, and Alex starts cracking up.  
  
"At least one of us thinks so."

* * *

Alex's eyes are trained on the road, but she catches a smile creep onto Tobin's lips when the latest Mumford and Sons album comes up on shuffle.  
  
"Remember when we first listened to this together?" Tobin grins. "We laid in your bed listening for hours until we both fell asleep without turning it off."  
  
Alex laughs, "And Abby had to come in and wake us up because we had slept through all of dinner."  
  
Tobin shakes her head, recounting the memory. "Man, that was awesome." She peers out the window. "We felt like we had all the time in the world. Nothing else mattered."  
  
Alex licks her lips. "Remember when we read all the Hunger Games books together?"  
  
"Yeah, we would switch off reading every five pages," Tobin recalls, toeing off her flip flops and tucking her legs into her chest.  
  
"Well, in Catching Fire, there was that line we loved. The one about Peeta saying that if he could freeze that one moment he spent with Katniss and live in it forever, he would." She pauses for a beat. "Then we started talking about what those moments were for us."  
  
Tobin nods, studying the side of Alex's face.  
  
"I said I didn't know what that moment was for me," she says, "but I lied."  
  
Tobin raises her eyebrows curiosly. "What was it?"  
  
"All those moments I spent with you. Like you just said. The ones where the two of us thought we had all the time in the world. We didn't worry about anyone or anything else. It..it was just us," she rambles, and Tobin remains silent. "Sorry, I don't know where the hell that came from."  
  
Tobin smiles softly, looking down at her toes. "That's probably the coolest thing anyone has ever said to me."  
  
"Oh, c'mon," Alex rolls her eyes, and Tobin turns to look at her, resting her cheek on her knees. "That's not true."  
  
"You have nothing to disprove it," Tobin says playfully.  
  
"Ok, ok, fine," Alex concedes. "I'm happy I get to hold the honor then."

* * *

"Alright, would you rather...have tongues for nipples, or a nipple for a tongue?" Tobin asks, and Alex nearly swerves into the lane next to them because she starts laughing so hard.  
  
"You're so gross," she scrunches her nose, and Tobin snorts, propping her sunglasses above her head. "Ew, God, you win. I can't possibly come up with an answer."  
  
"Yes!" Tobin claps her hands. "So what's the total tally for car games today, huh? 12-2?" she smirks mischevously.  
  
"Oh, yeah, funny," Alex mocks her. "Maybe I lose because I'm too focused on actually driving."  
  
"Ooh, feisty!" Tobin grins. "You got me there, Al. You got me there."  
  
Alex breathes out a laugh and shakes her head. "You're honestly such a loser."

* * *

"Ok. One-on-one. Whoever wins gets to choose where we eat lunch," Alex says, dropping Tobin's soccer ball into the grass and keeping it still with her foot.  
  
She doesn't remember exactly why she and Tobin thought this would be a good idea, but they spotted the open field just a couple miles away from the oasis, and neither of them have kicked a ball around all week.  
  
Tobin tightens her ponytail and rolls up the sleeves of her shirt. "Play up to 5?"  
  
Alex nods. "Don't worry, it shouldn't take that long for me to kick your ass."  
  
"Oh, ok, Orlando," Tobin taunts, and Alex giggles. "Let's see these so-called talents you're taking with you across the country."  
  
Alex gives the ball the first touch, dribbling up to Tobin and smirking when the midfielder gets into a defensive position, failing to dribble around past her and groaning as Tobin flicks the ball away from her reach.  
  
She back pedals when Tobin starts heading in her direction, cussing when she gets nutmegged. "Shit!"  
  
"Oh! And Heath takes the lead for Portland!" Tobin cups her hands around her mouth, mimicking the voice of a sports announcer.  
  
"Alright, alright, that was a practice round," Alex grabs the ball, and Tobin wiggles her finger at her.  
  
"I don't think so, missy, 1-0," she says, and Alex slaps her hand away.  
  
"Incredible! Morgan ties it up for Orlando!" she exclaims when she manages to dribble around Tobin and kick the ball through their makeshift goal; two of their sweatshirts spaced 10 feet apart.  
  
Tobin sticks out her tongue and effortlessly juggles the ball back to midfield, and Alex adjusts her pre-wrap more securely on her head.  
  
Tobin starts sprinting towards her with the ball, and when she's about to make a move, Alex impulsively jumps onto her back. "No!"  
  
"What the hell, dude?!" Tobin starts laughing, trying to shrug her off when Alex wraps her legs tightly around her waist. "This is a red card! It's a red card, ref!"  
  
She tries to run forward, but with Alex purposely putting extra weight on her, her legs eventually give out, and the two of them tumble to the grass, engulfed in a fit of giggles.  
  
"Cheater!" Tobin straddles Alex's hips and pins her arms down to the ground. "Nobody like a dirty player, Al."  
  
"No?" Alex raises an eyebrow, and Tobin dips her head down to shake her head, their noses just barely grazing.  
  
Alex hopes Tobin can't tell, but her heartbeat elevates at the action. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were coming onto me right now."  
  
For a split second, Alex thinks Tobin's gonna kiss her. Their faces are less than an inch apart, the midfielder's not-so-subtly eyeing her lips, she's straddled comfortably on top of Alex as if it's where she belongs.  
  
But instead, she blows a rasberry on Alex's cheek, and Alex shrieks before pushing her friend off.  
  
"Gross!" she wipes her cheek with the hem of her shirt, glancing over at her Tobin, who's rolling in the grass laughing. "You're sick, you know that?"  
  
"Jesus, flirting won't make me let you win, dude, sorry," Tobin teases, and Alex crawls over to her, resting her head on Tobin's stomach and outstretching her legs.  
  
She squints her eyes as she looks up at the sky, sighing when she feels Tobin run her fingers through her ponytail. "Add this to the list."  
  
"What list?"  
  
"The list of moments I wish I could freeze and live in forever."  
  
She swears she can feel Tobin grin when she says, "It's at the very top of mine."

* * *

"Al, you're ridiculous."  
  
"Am not!" Alex protests an hour later at lunch.  
  
She and Tobin never finished their impromptu soccer game, so they settled on a Johnny Rocket's right off the highway.  
  
"Welcome To New York is definitely not the best song on 1989," Tobin states. "Haven't you listened to How You Get The Girl? Clean? Blank Space?"  
  
"Tobin, even you know those songs aren't nearly as good."  
  
"Can I do anything else for you ladies?" their waiter approaches the table and clasps his hands together.  
  
"Actually, yes, you can," Tobin says while never breaking Alex's eye contact. "Would you or would you not say that Welcome To New York is the best song on Taylor Swift's album?"  
  
"Uhh," the guy chuckles nervously.  
  
"Look what you did, you made him uncomfortable," Alex accuses playfully.  
  
"I did not!" Tobin nudges her leg under the table with her foot before turning to the waiter. "You're not uncomfortable, are you?" she turns again to face Alex. "He's probably uncomfortable because he doesn't know how to tell you that you're wrong."  
  
Alex covers her face with her hands and starts laughing. "You're so annoying."

* * *

"Our last half hour on the road together," Tobin frowns deeply, her GoPro on its last leg of battery. "Any final words, Alex?"  
  
Alex tears her eyes away from the road for a split second.  
  
"Hmm," she mulls it over. "These have been the best five days of my life. And I'm thankful I got to experience it with my best friend in the entire world."  
  
Tobin grins at the camera. "What she said."

* * *

"There they are!" Pinoe screams like a madman once Tobin and Alex pull up into the front of the hotel. "A couple of gals being gals!"  
  
Kelley emerges from the glass doors leading to the lobby, waving enthusiastically.  
  
"Hey guys," Tobin greets with an excited smile, engulfing them both in hugs.  
  
"Toby!" Pinoe ruffles Tobin's hair, and Tobin playfully shoves her off before slipping on a beanie.  
  
"How was the drive?" Kelley helps Alex grab the bags out of the trunk.  
  
"It was good," Alex ties her hair into a tight bun and smirks when she eyes Tobin and Pinoe's playful banter. "Tobs and I got in some bonding time."  
  
"Five days together on the road, huh? I'm surprised you two didn't get married," Kelley teases, and Alex playfully rolls her eyes with a shake of the head.  
  
"So where's Syd?" Tobin slings her duffle bag over her shoulder.  
  
"Final meeting with the wedding planner," Pinoe opens the door to the lobby as the valet goes to park the car. "She's treating for dinner so make sure to order the most expensive item on the menu."  
  
"Oh, so basically just do what we usually do," Alex jokes. "Tobin, can you watch the bags? I'll check us in really quick."  
  
"Yeah, sure thing," Tobin's fingers brushes against Alex's as she grabs her luggage for her.  
  
"Did you two get one room?" Kelley asks, and Tobin nods.  
  
"That's hot!" Pinoe smacks her gum, and Alex subtly flips her off before jogging over to the front desk.

* * *

"Shit, I'm tired," Tobin plops down onto her bed once she and Alex make their way up to their room. "I think I might take a nap, could you just wake me up before we leave for dinner?"  
  
"Yeah, for sure," Alex sighs, amused at the way Tobin's out cold by the time the last word rolls off her lips.  
  
She takes in the all-too-familiar sleepy look on the midfielder's face, leaning down to press a light kiss to her temple before silently vacating the room.  
  
She grabs her phone out of the waistband of her athletic shorts to find a text from Kelley telling her everyone's hanging out in the lobby, so she takes the elevator downstairs before greeting her teammates.  
  
"Where's Tobin?" Cheney asks.  
  
"Taking a nap upstairs," Alex says. "Spending all that time with me must've taken the energy out of her," she adds, earning laughs from everyone.  
  
"I'm sure she loved every second of it," Cheney says quietly, a smile playing at her lips, and Alex tries to bite back a smile of her own.  
  
"Yeah, we had a lot of fun," she shrugs, biting on the inside of her cheek before any other words tumble out of her mouth.  
  
"Tell me all about it!" Kelley pulls Alex aside and grins excitedly.  
  
"About what?" Alex plays dumb, and Kelley rolls her eyes.  
  
"Everything. Anything," she shakes Alex's shoulders. "What was the sexual tension level? High?"  
  
"I could shoot you," Alex deadpans, but Kelley's unfazed by the comment.  
  
"How much longer are you gonna deny that you look at that girl like she put the fricken stars in the sky?" she asks. "I know you would never admit it in a million years, but you're head over heels, dude."  
  
Alex swipes her tongue across her bottom lip. "Look, I don't wanna talk about this here."  
  
"Do you wanna go upstairs?" Kelley wiggles her eyebrows, and Alex smushes her cheeks together with one hand.  
  
"Kelley, no."  
  
Kelley frowns.  
  
"I'm still...I'm still trying to figure out..what I feel, ok? I just-I'm not sure. About anything."  
  
Kelley's features soften, so Alex retracts her hand back to her side.  
  
"Ok, sorry," Kelley murmurs. "Just know that I'm rooting for you two."  
  
Alex offers a smile before pulling her friend into a hug. "Thanks Kell."

* * *

"There's my two favorite people in the world!" Syd bear-hugs Tobin and Alex once they see each other at dinner. "The MVPs of the weekend."  
  
"Hey Syd," Tobin laughs, giving Dom a hug right after, and Alex follows suite.  
  
"How was the drive? Any traffic?" Dom's British accent charms the room as the entire party follows the hostess to their table.  
  
"Not really," Alex says. "It was a pretty smooth trip." She takes a seat in between Becky and Christen while Tobin ends up at the other end of the table in between Kelley and Cheney.  
  
"Syd and I will make it up to both of you, we promise," Dom says, and Alex waves it off.  
  
"Seriously guys, don't worry about it," she says.  
  
"Did you two get some good sight-seeing in?" Christen asks.  
  
"Yeah, definitely," Alex shows her side of the table all the pictures she accumulated on her phone over the week; her wallpaper, her and Tobin trashed at the Bellagio, multiple pictures of Tobin sleeping in the car, a picture of the two of them they asked someone to take at the botanical gardens in Vail, Tobin showing off her ginormous cheeseburger from dinner one night, even a picture of the midfielder intently observing one of the pieces of art at the museum in Colby.  
  
Tobin still doesn't know that last picture was taken. But it's one of Alex's favorites.  
  
"We almost got banned from that museum," she smirks once she's finished showing all the pictures.  
  
"How can you get banned from a museum in the middle of nowhere?" Becky asks.  
  
"You play hide-and-seek and get caught hiding behind a really expensive painting," she smiles innocently.  
  
"You two are unbelievable," HAO chimes in. "Mad props, though."  
  
The rest of the dinner is filled with easy small talk. Every so often, Alex subtly glances at the opposite side of the table, where Tobin is engaged in animated conversation.  
  
When Alex reverts her attention back to Becky's anecdotes, she thinks. Thinks about how she misses Tobin's rambling, which she became so accustomed to the past five days. Thinks about how she misses having Tobin's undivided attention. It's selfish, she knows. But she misses when it felt like Tobin was... _hers._  
  
Later that night, after they're done getting ready for bed, Alex crawls into Tobin's bed with her without thinking twice, not bothering to make up some empty excuse.  
  
Tobin doesn't question her about it; she just nuzzles into Alex's neck like she always does. "Missed you at dinner tonight," she says sleepily, and Alex smiles against the crown of Tobin's hair.  
  
"Same here, Tobs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter, something very very big happens. i promise you.


	6. wedding day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> somehow i cranked this chapter out quicker than usual, so this update is coming a week earlier than planned. enjoy!

"So how are you feeling?" Alex asks Syd at a quiet breakfast the following morning, just the two of them. "It's the big day."  
  
Syd takes a gulp of her water, shrugging shortly after. "I'm excited, you know? I mean, Dom and I are technically already married. But...I don't know. It's nice getting to share something this special with everybody."  
  
Alex offers a small smile. "Yeah. I think it'll be beautiful ceremony."  
  
"So how was your five days living as a nomad?" Syd smirks. "I know you talked about it at dinner last night, but it was hard to hear with everyone talking at once."  
  
"It was surprisingly awesome," Alex thinks aloud, and Syd raises her eyebrows curiously. "I had a lot more fun than I thought."  
  
"You probably have Tobin to thank for that, huh?" Syd breathes out a laugh, and Alex nods.   
  
"Yeah, I couldn't have done it without her," she admits. "She kept me sane. Insane, too, at times. But I was lucky to have her with me."  
  
The corner of Syd's lips curls upwards. "Can I put something out there?"   
  
Alex picks at her eggs, already knowing what she's gonna say. "Yeah, go for it."  
  
"Would you...I don't know...would you ever...consider..dating her?" Syd asks slowly, confirming Alex's assumption.   
  
"Umm, I don't know, to be honest," she crosses her ankles under the table. "She's, like, my best friend. So..I don't know."   
  
"I've known you for what feels like 20 years," Syd says, and Alex laughs. "And I know that look you get when you're in love with something. Or even someone."   
  
Alex's cheeks turn a light shade of red.   
  
"And the way you look at that girl?" Syd says pointedly. "It's that same look you get the second you step foot on the pitch before every game. Like nothing else in the world matters. And believe me when I say she looks at you the same way. Her eyes light up whenever you walk into a room."  
  
Unsure how to respond, Alex chews on her thumbnail. "Kelley said something along those lines last night." She swirls her straw around in her drink. "I wouldn't...I wouldn't necessarily rule it out, I guess. But..I feel like it's complicated."  
  
Syd nods her head understandingly. "You know I could always play matchmaker."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Alex rolls her eyes. "But this..this is different. I kinda just wanna keep it between me and her, you know? Then maybe we'll see where it goes."  
  
"Totally get it. I'll stay out of it."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"On Boss's life."

* * *

"Tobin, you are not wearing flats with that dress," Cheney says definitively, and the midfielder frowns.   
  
"Why not?"   
  
"Because you're wearing a maxi. And maxis and flats don't mix. Like oil and water."  
  
Alex giggles from her spot on the bed, looking up from her magazine to find Cheney smoothing out Tobin's dress.   
  
"The ceremony isn't for another five hours, why exactly are we doing this?"   
  
"Because I love and care about you," Cheney places her hands on Tobin's shoulders. "This dress is really cute, where'd you get it?"  
  
"Al's closet," Tobin grins, and Cheney laughs in realization. "I may or may not have forgotten to bring a dress when I flew into LA last week."  
  
"That honestly does not surprise me," Cheney examines the pair of wedges Tobin slips on. "Ok. This is good. What do you think, Alex?"  
  
Alex thinks Tobin looks beautiful. Her hair is still in knots from the way she was too lazy to brush it this morning, but she thinks she looks beautiful. "I think you look really cute, Tobs. Very stylish."  
  
"Toby looks like a model!" Cheney claps her hands together, and Tobin rolls her eyes with a playful groan before slipping the shoes off and dragging her feet towards the bathroom to change.   
  
"You two are so annoying."

* * *

All the guests of the wedding gather at the outdoor bar not far from where the ceremony's taking place, and Alex is mingling with HAO and Hope, having lost Tobin to the swarm of people awhile back.   
  
"So when are you gonna settle down, little lady?" HAO takes a small sip of her wine and nods her head towards Alex. "You got a man or gal none of us know about?"  
  
"Yeah, right," Alex laughs. "You guys are the nosiest people I've ever played with, if I was with someone, I'm sure all 22 of you would know within a span of an hour."  
  
"She's not lying," Hope agrees. "The entire team found out about Syd and Dom's secret marriage last year half an hour after they signed the papers."  
  
"Alright, alright, you got a point," HAO concedes. "But, c'mon, you're a healthy 26-year-old, there has to be someone out there catching your eye."   
  
"I don't know," Alex says shyly, swirling her wine in her glass. "Not really."  
  
"You didn't say no," Hope catches on. "That means there is someone!"   
  
"What-no," Alex protests. "Look, as much as I love talking about my dormant love life, this is Syd and Dom's day, ok?"   
  
Hope and HAO shrug in agreement.  
  
"I guess you're right," HAO mutters, and Alex smirks at the childlike veteran.   
  
"Thank you very much."

* * *

"Have you seen Tobin?" Alex leans over the empty seat to her left and nudges Kelley.   
  
"You're the one that's always attached at the hip with her," Kelley quips. "I was convinced you two had some telepathy going on where you always knew where each other were."  
  
"You're funny," Alex says flatly, sitting back upright in her seat and scanning her surroundings.   
  
"Sorry, sorry, am I late?" Tobin's holding her wedges in her hands and squeezing by the row of people to get to her seat between Alex and Kelley. "The line to the bathroom was a lot longer than I thought it was gonna be," she slips her shoes back on.   
  
Alex admires how good her friend looks in the sun; rays are shining off her hair, making it look lighter than usual, and her minimal makeup sharpens her natural features. "You look really pretty, Tobs," she says genuinely, and Tobin rolls her eyes, curling a stray strand of hair behind her ear, only to have it fall over her face again.   
  
"Thanks, Al," she murmurs quietly.   
  
The rest of the ceremony goes by uneventfully, aside from the fact Alex sheds a few tears when Syd and Dom are reciting their vows.  
  
"Are you crying?" Tobin whispers into her ear, and Alex shakes her head, wiping a tear away with the back of her hand.  
  
"No, I think the wind is picking up," she lies, and Tobin grins before handing her a tissue.

* * *

Tobin and Alex head back to their room for the two hours between the ceremony and the reception, starting a Monop Deal game with Pinoe, Kelley, Alyssa, and Christen while Sera and Ann watch in amusement.   
  
Well, Alex and Kelley are online shopping in Alex's bed; the rest of the girls are refraining themselves from killing each other.   
  
Tobin, unable to stay in a dress for longer than necessary, is in a gray tank top and ragged UNC sweats, accusing Pinoe of cheating when Kelley turns to Alex.  
  
"We're not talking about what you're about to talk about," Alex says before Kelley can even open her mouth.  
  
"What?" Kelley asks innocently, and Alex simply scrolls through her laptop.   
  
"You know what."  
  
"Fine," Kelley grumbles before muttering almost inaudibly, "I saw her checking out your ass when we left the ceremony."  
  
"Cut it out!" Alex smacks her leg. "Did you not hear what I just said?"  
  
"I _did_ hear what you just said, but I also thought you had a right to know what _I_ just said."   
  
"Drop it, Kell."  
  
"Ok, sorry," Kelley murmurs genuinely, averting her attention back to the laptop screen.   
  
Before the two of them realize it, Tobin plops down onto the bed, curling up next to Alex. "What are you guys up to?"  
  
"Shopping, your favorite," Alex sighs, and Tobin scrunches her nose. "I still owe you a snapback, remember?"  
  
Tobin's face automatically lightens up. "Oh, yeah! I forgot about that!" she turns to Kelley. "Alex is getting me a snapback for dealing with her the past five days."  
  
"I still don't know how you did it," Kelley teases, and Alex sticks her tongue out at her. "Tobs, you wanna borrow a shorter dress for the ceremony tonight? I have an extra black one in my luggage."  
  
"Oooh, yeah, totally, can I check it out?" she asks, and Kelley nods.   
  
"C'mon, let's go," she hoists herself off the bed before stealing Tobin away and exiting the room.

* * *

Alex doesn't know whether she loves or hates Kelley O'Hara.  
  
On one hand, the hatred stems from her friend's inability to stay out of her love life, not knowing where her boundaries are when it comes to how involved she's allowed to get.    
  
On the other hand? On the other hand, she wants to kiss Kelley full on the mouth because the dress she put Tobin in doesn't leave much to the imagination.   
  
Her jaw might as well have dropped to the ground when she spotted Tobin in the lobby; the tiny dress hugs her figure in all the right places, her toned legs are rightfully exposed, and the open-back style doesn't strain anybody's eyes.   
  
In other words, it makes Alex feel like a teenage boy.   
  
"Do I like ok?" Tobin asks, her voice small, and Alex offers her a smile and a nod.   
  
"Are you insane? You look awesome," she bumps their shoulders together, and Tobin breathes out a laugh.   
  
"I feel too much like Kelley," she jokes, and Alex laughs heartily.   
  
"You look good, Tobs, trust me," she says reassuringly. "All your missing is a snapback."

* * *

"Hey, Al," Syd pulls Alex aside minutes before the reception's about to start. "I need you to do me a small favor."  
  
"Don't tell me you want your car back in LA," Alex says, and Syd rolls her eyes.   
  
"Do you think you could make a little speech before the cake cutting?" Syd asks with an innocent smile, and Alex widens her eyes. "Just for a couple minutes!"  
  
" _Syd_ ," Alex draws out childishly. "I'm not good at that stuff."  
  
"You're like the spokesperson of the U.S. Women's National Team! You talk at almost every event we go to!" Syd points out. "C'mon, please?"   
  
Alex mills it over, clenching her jaw and slumping her shoulders. "Ok, fine, I'll do it."   
  
Syd squeals excitedly. "Yay! Thanks, you're still the best."  
  
"Yeah, yeah," Alex mumbles before sauntering inside the reception room.   
  
"Alex, Pinoe's buying a round of shots, you want one?" Cheney asks as Alex slides into her seat between Becky and Tobin.   
  
"I'll skip out on this one, but don't count me out for the next," Alex smirks.   
  
"You afraid of being a lightweight?" Tobin teases from her right, and Alex smacks her with her napkin.   
  
"Syd asked me to give a speech, and I kinda sorta wanna be sober when I do," she says, and Tobin raises her eyebrows.   
  
"That's cool, dude," she muses, and Alex shrugs.   
  
"I can't focus enough to type something up," she mutters. "Shit, I suck when I'm on the spot."  
  
"Are you kidding?" Tobin asks. "You're totally rad on the spot."  
  
Alex rolls her eyes. "Best friend obligation to say that."   
  
"Seriously," Tobin presses. "I love listening to you talk," she shrugs. "Ok, that sounded creepy," she backtracks, and Alex starts laughing. "But for real. Whenever you're on the spot...I don't know. It's, like, all the words you say. It comes from the heart, and I think that's what really matters, you know?"  
  
Alex's lips twist into the softest of smiles. "You're a pretty great human, Tobs."  
  
Tobin smirks before mimicking the words, "Best friend obligation to say that."

* * *

"Hi everyone," Alex shoots the room an awkward wave before wringing her hands around the microphone she's holding. "Um, I'm Alex," she adds, earning a hearty round of laughter. "And, first off, I just wanna congratulate Syd and Dom.   
  
"You two are probably the prettiest couple I've ever seen, so cheers to that," she teases, and everyone starts laughing again.   
  
So maybe she doesn't suck at public speaking.   
  
"Um, this past week, I went on a road trip from LA to Kansas City," Alex steals a glance at Tobin, whose fingers are splayed across her lips, hiding a grin. "It was the craziest week of my life, but if I had to do it all over again, I would.  
  
"That's how special you guys are to me," she turns to the newlyweds. "All of us in this room would be lucky to find someone who loves us half as much as you two love each other," she says, and Syd's eyes start welling up, so Alex takes it as a sign to lighten things up.   
  
"Also, Dom, I just wanna commend you really quick, because marrying Syd means marrying the rest of the U.S. Women's National Team, and you handle us better than we handle each other," she smirks. Another round of laughter from the room. "You give her the most happiness in the world. And the gals and I can't thank you enough for that.   
  
"So...to Syd and Dom," she lifts her wine glass off the table and raises it, and everyone follows suite. "We love you." She turns off the mic and walks over to them, engulfing them in hugs before strolling back to her seat.   
  
"Killed it," Tobin high-fives her.  
  
"Thanks," she pats the midfielder's knee before nodding to Pinoe.  
  
"When's the next round of shots?"

* * *

"Alright, we're gonna slow things down a bit, everyone grab your special someone and treat them to a dance," the DJ says in a clichéd matter an hour later, and Alex smiles warmly when her teammates grab their significant others and start rocking to the tune of _Four Walls_ by Broods.   
  
She saunters away from the bar and scans the room to find Tobin sitting by herself back at their table, politely refusing an offer from one of Dom's teammates to dance.   
  
She walks around the dance floor to make her way to her friend, simply extending her hand once she reaches her.   
  
Tobin flickers her eyes down to Alex's hand then back up to Alex's face. "Hey."  
  
"Will you dance with me?" Alex asks, and Tobin's lips twist into a smile.  
  
"I can't dance, Al," she says, and Alex rolls her eyes.  
  
"And I can't nutmeg a defender as well as you can," she shrugs. "C'mon, please?"  
  
Tobin brings her bottom lip between her teeth before begrudgingly dropping her hand into Alex's. "I'm gonna look like an idiot."  
  
"But you're my idiot, so it's ok," Alex smirks, wrapping her hands around Tobin's neck as Tobin's fingers curl naturally around her waist.   
  
_I'm trying hard to make you love me, but I don't wanna try too hard._  
  
"See? This isn't too bad," Alex says, and Tobin breathes out a laugh.   
  
"Yeah, we'll see how the rest of the song goes," she jokes. "You know, I never told you how pretty you looked today."  
  
Alex feels her cheeks warm up.   
  
"Not that you don't look pretty every day," Tobin backtracks. "You do. I just mean, like, I don't know-"  
  
"Tobs, I get it," Alex giggles. "Thank you," she says genuinely, and Tobin shoots her a dopey grin.   
  
_I wanna take you to the peak of everything that you are._  
 _You're everything I need tonight._  
  
They rock back in forth in silence for the remainder of the song, and Alex suppresses a small smile when Tobin nuzzles her face into the juncture of her neck. 

* * *

 

Alex lost count of how many rounds of shots she's had.  
  
Her head is light and bubbly, but she's not as out of it as she was in Vegas, so she toes off her heels and stumbles back onto the dance floor.   
  
Some Kygo song she can't recognize is blaring through the speakers, and she slings a sloppy arm around Kelley before moving to the beat.   
  
Tobin's a few feet away dancing with Cheney, and Alex tries not to let her eyes linger on the way her body rocks fluidly to the music.  
  
And the girl says she can't dance.  
  
"I'm gonna be so hungover tomorrow morning," Kelley says into her ear, and Alex starts cracking up. "I just wanna be as cool as Abby," she nods towards the blonde, who's in the middle of a dance circle in the center of the dance floor.   
  
Alex cheers her teammate on before dancing with Kelley and Christen for a few songs, and the three of them recite every single word to _Hotline Bling_ when Alex can't stop herself from stealing glances in Tobin's direction.  
  
"I'll be back," she tells the two Stanford alums, swallowing deeply as she makes her way over to the midfielder. "Hey, I'm gonna go outside to get some air, you wanna come with?"   
  
Tobin, drunker than Alex is, stumbles forward a little before nodding her head, taking Alex's hand as they weave their way to the exit.   
  
"Next time Pinoe buys us that much tequila, you need to stop me before the sixth round," Tobin laughs, and Alex giggles before her chest heaves with fatigue.  
  
She leans against the wall and feels the bass of the music reverberate against her back, the beating of her heart getting heavier and heavier with each second that passes. "Tobin." She looks to make sure no one else is around and tugs their bodies closer together.   
  
"Yeah?" Tobin's hands find the curve of her back, and Alex looks deep into her eyes.   
  
"I need-I need to do something," she says. "Don't freak out, ok? But..I-I've been needing to do it ever since we were in that waterfall in Vail." Her stomach feels like its doing thousand of somersaults.  
  
Before she can make a move, Tobin brings one of her hands to the back of her neck and kisses her full on the mouth.  
  
Her lips taste like vodka and lip balm, and Alex's knees buckle beneath her as Tobin's fingers get lost in her hair.   
  
She sighs as the midfielder sucks lightly on her bottom lip, gripping onto Tobin's hips before she has to pull away for air.  
  
"Fuck, Al," Tobin mutters, and Alex can swear she can feel her heartbeat through the fabric of both of their dresses. "Where's our room key?"   
  
"I have it. Let's go." Alex doesn't bother to go back inside and grab her shoes, letting Tobin lead her to the elevators and up to the 12th floor.  
  
It takes her three tries to get the room key into the slot, and she tosses it to the floor before Tobin's mouth is on hers again and they stumble onto the bed.  
  
Tobin straddles Alex's hips, her dress riding high up her thighs, and she dips down to press a trail of kisses along Alex's neck. "Wait, Alex."  
  
"What?" Alex tips her head back to give the midfielder better access.  
  
"We're both drunk."  
  
Alex licks her lips and buries her hands in Tobin's hair. "I need this, ok? I need this more than anything, and that's not just the vodka talking. I swear."  
  
Tobin nods once before going back to work on the juncture of Alex's neck, sucking heartily at the skin before letting the forward undo the zipper of her dress.  
  
And what happens next?  
  
It defies description.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you know! they finally pulled the trigger. and yes, i completely avoided having to write smut. next update should come in a couple weeks.


	7. the day after

Alex squints behind her eyelids as rays of sunlight beam through the curtains and into the bedroom, unable to find the audacity to roll over onto her other side so that she's facing the other occupant on the bed.

She presses the side of her face further into her pillow, wanting to hide from the rest of the world because she doesn't know what things are gonna be like when Tobin wakes up.

"I know you're awake, Al," the midfielder's voice is raspy with sleep, and Alex's heart flutters.

She slowly rolls over and exhales lightly when she lays eyes on her friend, her hair a tangled mess. "Hey."

"Hey," Tobin offers her a smile, one that Alex returns. "Do you...do you wanna talk about last night?" she asks.

Alex swallows deeply. "I don't know," she answers honestly. A minute of silence passes between them before she adds, "So what now?"

"I don't know," Tobin echoes. "But..I _do_ know that I don't want anything to change between us, ok?" her eyes are almost pleading. "I know that might seem impossible, but...shit, I don't know. I guess-I guess what I'm trying to say is..." she starts rambling, like she always does when she gets nervous. "I'm trying to say that I don't regret last night. But at the same time, losing you isn't a risk I wanna have to take. So...yeah. I don't know. Fuck. Just forget it." She rubs tiredly at her eyes.

"Hey, no, I totally get it," Alex reassures, and Tobin's eyes lighten up.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," she whispers, because she _does_ get it. "We don't have to act on anything right away. We can take some time to...decompress." She takes up a long pause. "And-and with you flying back to Jersey tomorrow and me going back to LA, I guess it'll be good for us."

Relief sweeps over Tobin's features, and she nods wordlessly. "Ok." She cranes her neck to glance at the digital clock on the nightstand. _9:43_. "I'm gonna go ahead and shower, I made plans yesterday to have brunch with Cheney around 10:30."

"Yeah, ok," Alex murmurs, and Tobin reaches for her undergarments on the ground and hastily slips them on under the covers before tiptoeing into the bathroom without another word.

Alex outstretches her arms above her head and lets out a yawn, unplugging her phone from its charger to find three texts from Syd, two from Cheney, a text from Pinoe sent to the big group chat, and a missed call and twelve texts from Kelley.

She leaves the messages unread and dials Kelley, pinching the bridge of her nose with every ring.

"Yo!" her voice is lively on the other end of the line. "How does it feel to be freshly laid?!"

"You can either be a really good friend and let me talk it out with you, or you can be a little ass, and I can just talk to Syd," Alex ignores her comment, and Kelley skips a beat before muttering an apology. "Are you in your room?"

"I'm at breakfast with Press and Ann, but I should be back up in half an hour. Want me to bring you anything?"

"No, I'm good," Alex rolls onto her back and stares at the ceiling. "Thanks, Kell."

"Yeah, of course. Is everything ok?"

Alex glances at the bathroom door as she hears the shower turn on. "Yeah. I think so."

* * *

 

Forty-five minutes later, Alex is fresh out of her shower and heading two floors down to Kelley's room, exhaling deeply when her door swings open.

"Hey, you," Kelley lets her in and closes the door behind her, and Alex plops down on the bed, a giddy smile hidden behind her fingers. "You look satisfied," she says teasingly before taking a seat next to Alex on the bed.

"Where's Ann?"

"She went uptown with Becky, Zola, and HAO," Kelley says, and Alex nods.

"Shit, Kell," she digs the heels of her hands into her eyes. "I don't even...I don't even know what to say."

"I'll start by saying you forgot your shoes last night in the ballroom," Kelley says. "They're by the door."

"Oh, thanks," Alex props herself against the bed's headboard. "But I didn't forget," she mutters with a laugh. "I just couldn't find the willpower to go back in and get them."

"Ew, you eager horn-dog!" Kelley grimaces. "So how was it?" she smacks Alex's thigh with the back of her hand.

"How was sleeping with Tobin?" Alex raises her eyebrows.

"Don't give me gross details," Kelley clarifies quickly. "Just...I don't know. How was it?"

Alex bites down on the inside of her bottom lip before sweeping her hair over one of her shoulders, revealing a ripe, dark purple mark on the juncture of her neck.

" _Jesus_!" Kelley's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets. "I'm surprised she didn't scrape off a layer of your skin!"

Alex simply rolls her eyes and covers up the hickey with her hair.

"So how was it this morning?" Kelley asks.

Alex lifts her shoulder in a shrug. "You know Tobin. When she gets nervous, she doesn't have an off button." She tucks her legs into her chest and rests her chin on her knees. "She said..she said she didn't want anything to change between us."

"That's reasonable."

"Yeah, totally, I mean, I agree with that. But then, like, I don't know. We're kind of at a standstill on what's gonna happen. And I don't know how or when we're gonna figure it out."

Kelley nods. "What do you want to happen?"

Alex exhales deeply through her nose. "I don't know. I mean..I tell myself that it'd be a little out there. We've been friends for so long, and to think of us as anything else would be weird.

"But-but then I spend time with her, and she drives me crazy," she hides her face in her hands. "I guess I'm supposed to figure out which feeling outweighs the other."

"Are you in love with her?"

Alex doesn't answer for awhile as she mulls it over. "I don't know. I really don't. But I definitely feel something. And...it's really, really special."

"Everything will fall into place, Al, don't worry," Kelley says comfortingly. "I don't know much about how the universe, but I'd say it's on your side," she shrugs. "And Tobin...Tobin loves you more than anyone. Maybe not as much as God, but you're definitely up there."

Alex giggles. "Thanks, Kell. You're nice to talk to when you're not annoying."

"Better soak it in now because the sex jokes will be coming your way at dinner with the gals tonight."

Alex rolls her eyes before her phone vibrates at her side, and she drags her thumb along the bottom before reading text message from Tobin herself.

_Got some leftover pancakes with your name written all over them!! They're back up in the room if you wanna claim em._

She's up there in a matter of minutes, dragging Kelley along when she asks if she can come with.

* * *

"Shit, Tobs, you're the best," Alex muffles with her mouth full, and Tobin grins at the way pancake crumbs reside on her bottom lip before she swipes them away with her tongue.

"I want a piece," Kelley reaches for the fork, but Alex smacks her hand away. "You're a little asshole."

"You already ate," Alex counters, and Kelley makes a face at her before grabbing the soccer ball from Tobin's duffle bag and juggling it with her feet.

"So what time do you guys fly out tomorrow?" the Stanford grad attempts to arc the ball and cradle it at the back of her neck, groaning when it falls to the ground instead.

"I'll be honest, I have no idea," Tobin outstretches her legs across Alex's lap once she's done eating.

"You fly out at 1," Alex reminds her. "My flight's at, like, 1:30."

"Aw, cute, was that planned?" Kelley teases, and Tobin chucks a pillow in her direction so the ball falls out of her reach. "Asshole. Are you two bringing anything to dinner tonight at Syd and Dom's?"

"We already brought something, we brought their car," Tobin says, and Alex and Kelley start cracking up.

"That was a good one, Tobs," Alex pats Tobin's thigh. "I'm kind of pissed off I didn't think of it myself."

"Kell, who's funnier, me or Alex?" Tobin's head hangs off the side of the bed, and the tips of her hair graze the floor of the room.

"Neither of you are funny," Kelley lies. "I carry the humor in the friend group."

Alex says sarcastically, "You carry the humility, too."

* * *

 

"Did I do that to you?" Tobin splays her fingers along the hickey on Alex's neck shortly after Kelley leaves to spend some time with Ann.

Alex stifles a giggle. "Yeah. I didn't know you were a biter."

"Shut up," Tobin laughs, her cheeks warming to a bright red. "Shit, I'm sorry, Al. Did it hurt?"

"Eh," Alex lifts her shoulder in a shrug. "Maybe a teeny bit. But I liked it." She watches as Tobin gnaws on the inside of her cheek, her breath hitching in her throat when Tobin leans over and presses the softest of kisses to the purple mark.

"Sorry," she says shyly when she pulls away, and Alex tries to ignore the way her skin tingles lightly.

"Don't be," she breathes out lamely, fighting every urge she has to attack Tobin's lips with her own. She falls to defeat when she starts, "Listen..I-I know we said we'd take some time before doing anything else. But I need to do something."

As if reading her mind, Tobin scoots onto her lap and latches their lips together, bringing one of her hands to the back of Alex's head.

Alex sighs deeply, her fingers finding the hem of Tobin's shirt, and the midfielder slightly rocks her hips before abruptly pulling away. "Please tell me that was it."

Alex starts laughing, nodding her head. "Yeah. It was."

Tobin grins and rolls off her lap. "Good. Because that could have been horribly awkward."

* * *

 

"There they are!" Pinoe cheers once Alex and Tobin make their way through Syd's front door later that night, finishing up her third glass of wine as she slings an arm around Sera. Alex tenses, expecting for her to slide in a snide comment about her and Tobin, but she relaxes when Pinoe shoots her a look that says she'll leave the subject alone.

"Hey guys," Syd engulfs them both in hugs, adding in Alex's ear, "Missed you two last night."

Alex's eyes shoot to her friend's, just remembering she didn't bother to say bye before she and Tobin...left. "Shit, I'm so sorry-"

"Relax, Al, it's fine," Syd laughs. "I'm sure whatever you were up to was much more stimulating than the bouquet toss, anyway."

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Alex murmurs, and Syd squeezes her arm before heading off into another room.

"What's for dinner, Dominic?" Tobin claps Dom on the back and props herself up on the edge of the counter in the middle of the kitchen.

"Burgers and hot dogs," Dom laughs charismatically. "That's what you Americans like to eat, right?"

"As long as there are condiments," Tobin grabs a chip from the serving bowl and pops it in her mouth, and Dom laughs again.

"Tobin, manners, off," Alex tugs the midfielder back onto the ground and briefly apologizes to Dom.

"If you can't tell, she's the boring one," Tobin announces to the room, and everyone laughs.

"I could say the grossest joke right now, but I respect you two and everyone else in here," Pinoe says, and Tobin lightly smacks the side of her face before sliding into a seat at the table next to Christen.

"Anyone up for a quick pickup game?" HAO peeks her head through the screen door that leads to the backyard, hoisting a soccer ball in her left hand.

"I'm there," Tobin's the first one to shoot up out of her chair, grabbing one last chip and jogging outside.

Most people opt just to watch, and eventually, teams are split up into Alex, Ashlyn, HAO, Ali, and Cheney against Christen, Becky, Kelley, Tobin, and Hope.

Pinoe wanted to play, but she was too tipsy to keep her gaze on the ball.

"Whoever wins gets first in line at all meals in Seattle and Orlando," Kelley proposes.

"Hey, hey, I never agreed on a wager," Cheney rolls the game ball in her hands and shifts her weight on the balls of her feet.

"Looks like you'll just have to win, then," Tobin smirks mischievously, and the atmosphere is filled with a round of _oooohs_ when Cheney narrow her eyes playfully at her friend.

"If you guys break a window, I'm suing all of you," Syd takes a seat on one of the lawn chairs with Boss in her lap.

Alex fails to tear her eyes away as Tobin bunches the hem of her shorts so they ride higher up her thighs, clearing her throat when the midfielder catches her staring and innocently winks at her.

Cheney drops the ball onto the ground and taps it over to Ali, who fails to dribble it around Christen and nearly loses her balance.

"Press, out wide!" Tobin calls out, and Christen kicks the ball in her direction, but Alex is quick to intercept it.

"Alex!" HAO streaks and stops the ball with her chest when Alex lobs it in her direction, shooting it at the goal before Hope easily blocks it. "Shit."

The scrimmage is back and forth for awhile, but then Kelley slides a ball past Ashlyn, and she hops onto Tobin's back in celebration.

Alex bends over and rests her hands on her knees, a smile etching its way onto her face as she watches her idiots of friends over-celebrate.

"I can see myself now stealing all the pasta before you guys get to the front of the line," Kelley taunts the other team, and HAO cups her hands around her mouth before eliciting a _booooo._

"You better hope we aren't roommates, Kell, you might wake up one morning in the middle of the hallway," Cheney chides, and Kelley breathes out a laugh.

"C'mon Chen, let's go," she wipes beads of sweat off her forehead with her arm.

Ali puts the ball back into play and shoots it in Cheney's direction, but the ball ends up rolling towards the swimming pool, and Tobin chases after it at full speed before her foot catches on a sprinkler and she takes a nasty fall to the pavement.

"Ah, shit," she gets up just fine, but when Alex starts jogging in her direction, she spots a deep gash on Tobin's shin.

"Tobin! I'm so, so sorry, are you ok?" Ali runs over to her, and the rest of the girls follow.

"Yeah, totally, don't worry about it," Tobin shrugs it off, and Alex can tell she's not bothered by it, but the cut on her leg hurts just to look at.

"I can bring you upstairs so you can clean that up," Syd offers, and Tobin opens her mouth to say something when Alex interjects.

"I can do it," she says, not missing the way Kelley wiggles her eyebrows in her peripherals. "Not for any reason but to be a polite guest and friend, you pervert," she rolls her eyes, and Kelley forms a thin line with her lips.

"Oh, yeah, ok," Syd agrees. "You know how to get there, right?"

Alex nods. "Uh-huh," she lets Tobin lean on her for support. "You guys can play the rest of the game without us."

"We love you, Toby!" Pinoe calls out from a few yards away, and Tobin shoots her a thumbs-up as she and Alex make their way inside.

* * *

 

Tobin grunts as she hoists herself on the ledge of the sink, and Alex shuts the door behind them before hurriedly rummaging through the cabinets for Neosporin. "Dude, chill, it's just a little cut."

"Tobin, I haven't seen that much blood ever since I got that really bad paper cut over the summer," Alex points out, and Tobin purses her lip at the memory. "Does it hurt?"

"Eh, not really," she lifts her shoulder in a shrug, and Alex wets a paper towel before wiping the blood off her leg. "Ah, easy."

"I thought you said it didn't hurt," Alex tosses the paper towel away and looks up at her.

"It hurts when you put all your pressure on it," Tobin says pointedly, and Alex murmurs a sorry before pulling out a Neosporin and a Q-tip.

"Ow, quit it, Al," Tobin winces as Alex positions her leg in place to spread the medicine.

"Tobin, we have to put some Neosporin on it before it gets infected," she squirts some onto the Q-tip, and Tobin tips her head back in frustration.

"But it's gonna hurt," she whines childishly, and Alex shoots her a hard look.

"You either let it hurt now, or it gets worse before our next game, which is it gonna be?" she asks levelly, and Tobin wordlessly clenches her jaw.

"Fuck you," she grumbles, but Alex doesn't think anything of it. She just slowly rubs some Neosporin on the burn.

" _Ah, fuck_!" Tobin bites down on the collar of her shirt, squeezing her eyes shut so hard Alex doesn't think she'll be able to open them up again.

"I'm almost done," she says softly, making sure to cover every inch of the cut before unrapping a large band-aid with her teeth and wrapping it around the gash.

Tobin's still panting by the time she's finished, and Alex simply places a hand on her thigh, stroking her skin lightly with her thumb. "You ok, Tobs?"

Tobin nods weakly, shooting Alex a strained but genuine smile. "Yeah. Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for," Alex says playfully, and Tobin tugs them closer together by the hem of the forward's shirt, settling Alex in between her legs.

"I could kiss you senseless right now," she swallows, and Alex leans forward to press a light kiss to the side of her mouth.

"Me too," she whispers. "But you know we can't."

Tobin nods. "Do you think we'll be able to sort ourselves out before the next Victory Tour game?"

Alex runs a hand through her hair. "I really hope so."

* * *

 

All the guests are scattered around the patio for dinner, and Alex beams as Cheney brags about their victory over Kelley.

"And I hate to bring up the fact that I scored the game-winning goal, but I scored the game-winning goal," she shrugs, and Kelley flings a fry at her from across the table.

"Petty," she whines, and Alex takes a hearty bite of her burger, her eyes scanning the premesis for Tobin, who's sitting at a table with HAO, Dave, and Alyssa.

"Don't worry, Al, your girl's still here," Cheney teases, and Alex immediately blushes.

"What? Yeah, I know," she says defensively. "And she's not...she's not my girl," she adds quietly.

"I've known you two long enough to know that she is," Cheney argues, and Kelley high-fives her, commemorating the first time tonight they're on the same side about something.

* * *

 

"You sure you don't need a ride to the airport tomorrow morning?" Syd asks as she engulfs Alex in a hug. "It's the least we could do."

"Yeah, don't worry about it, we already booked a cab," Alex tells her.

"Keep me updated on things, ok?" Syd asks, her voice hushed, and Alex promptly nods her head before sliding into the car taking back to the hotel and shooting Syd one last wave.

She says goodbye to the rest of the team once they're in the hotel lobby, and after she and Tobin get ready for the night, they crawl into bed together.

"Last night together," Tobin mumbles, and Alex wraps her arm more tightly around the midfielder's waist.

"Don't remind me," she sighs, and Tobin laughs softly.

"Thanks for the best week of my life, Al."

Alex feels her heart warm, and she presses a light kiss to Tobin's collarbone. "Thanks for letting me spend it with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> almost at the end! thanks for going on this ride with me.


	8. opposite coasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this it it y'all. hope you like it.

Alex's eyes sparkle with amusement as Tobin sits herself on top of her duffle bag, smushing her clothes down as low as possible so they don't get caught on the zipper. "I told you to fold them, you know."

"Folding's for losers," Tobin grunts as she zips her bag closed, lazily rolling onto the ground once she finally succeeds. "See?" she kicks at her bag, which looks like it's going to explode apart any second.

Alex fights the urge to crawl on top of her friend and kiss her full on the mouth. Instead, she rolls her eyes and throws Tobin's UNC sweatshirt at her. "Don't forget that, I know you're a big whiner without it."

* * *

Their gates are just down the corridor from each other, so they decide to spend the next couple hours together before Tobin has to board.

"I cannot believe you," Alex says tiredly as they make themselves comfortable at a table in the food court, munching on some hash browns from McDonald's, and Tobin shrugs wordlessly. "Who forgets their shoes at security?"

"I'm so used to not wearing them it just slipped from my mind!" she tries to make a case for herself, but Alex simply narrows her eyes.

"So you excited to head back home?" she decides to change the subject. She doesn't feel like spending her final hours with Tobin bickering over something stupid.

Tobin nods with a grin. "Yeah, I'm stoked. I haven't seen Parker in almost a month." She mentions her young nephew before taking another bite of her hash brown and adding, "He misses you."

Alex presses her lips together in a thin smile. "He met me, like, twice."

"Three times," Tobin corrects. "And I'm pretty sure you made him laugh more than I did."

"C'mon, you know that's not true," Alex lightly nudges Tobin's shin under the table. "He loves his Aunt Tobin."

Tobin reclines back in her seat and smirks. "Hearing the word 'aunt' in front of my name makes me feel old."

"It's because you are," Alex teases, and Tobin subtly flips her off with a laugh. "I'm kidding. Say hi to everyone for me."

"Yeah, for sure," Tobin smiles warmly. "Same for you and the rest of the Morgan clan."

"My mom keeps asking when you're coming over for family brunch again," Alex says, and Tobin laughs heartily.

"Next time I'm in LA, it'll be at the top of my priorities list."

"Other than hanging out with me, of course."

Tobin scrunches her nose. "Yeah, I think I'm bumping that one down to number 25 or so."

* * *

They sit huddled next to each other at gate 33B, giggling childishly over funny YouTube videos.

The breeze in the airport is chilly, so Alex finds solace in the warmth of Tobin's body curled into hers.

Eventually, they move to old videos of themselves and the team, doubling over in laughter when they come across one of Kelley trying to take a selfie of the three of them, but frowning after almost ten seconds because she realized she was taking a video.

Alex's heart sinks when there's an announcement for boarding, and Tobin looks down at her ticket with a pensive look on her face. "I'm Group A." She sighs deeply, and the two girls rise from their seats to start gathering their things.

Tobin slings her backpack over one of her shoulders, and Alex smiles softly at the fact it's even dirtier than it was when they started their road trip. "I'll miss you, Tobs."

"C'mon, Al, it's just for ten days," Tobin nudges her arm to lighten the mood, and Alex tugs her closer by her sweatshirt before winding her arms tightly around Tobin's neck.

"I know, I know," she exasperates. "Just...don't find a new best friend, ok?" she jokes, and Tobin's chest rumbles with laughter against hers.

"As long as you don't find a new one either," she quips once they pull away, wrapping her fingers around the straps of her backpack. "Text me when you land in LA."

Alex nods her head. "Will do."

They both lower their gaze to their feet.

"Um," Tobin inches forward and stuffs her hands deep into her pockets. "I haven't given up on us yet."

Butterflies hollow out Alex's stomach. "Me neither," she breathes.

"Oh, I almost forgot," Tobin shrugs off her backpack and pulls a crumpled up shirt out of it. "I got this for you," she hands it to Alex.

It's wrinkled beyond words, but she can read what it says clearly. _Someone I love went to Colorado and bought me this shirt._ And on top of where it says Colorado are the words added with Sharpie in scratchy writing, _Vegas, Utah, Kansas_. Like a list.

Tears prick at her eyes, and she dumbly wipes them away before they get the chance to roll down her cheeks. "Tobin, when-"

"When you took a nap in the car in Vail," Tobin says. "I got bored, so I went down to the convenience store, and they had a few sizes. Now that I think about it, I probably shouldn't have left you alone in an unlocked car in the parking lot, but-"

"I love it," Alex interrupts her rambling, balling the fabric in her hands. She decides then she'll keep it with the flower Tobin gave her at the waterfall, which is already on the verge of dying out.

"Yeah?" Tobin beams, and Alex nods her head vigorously.

"It's awesome," she laughs, not missing the way Tobin starts to blush. "You better get on that plane before it leaves without you."

Tobin nods before whispering quickly in Alex's ear, "If all these people weren't here, I'd kiss you senseless."

She stalks off to the boarding line before Alex has a chance to get the last word in.

* * *

Alex grins when she lands in LA and spots Jeri holding up a glittery, bright sign that reads _Welcome home Ali Cat!_

"Alex! Over here!" she beckons, and Alex pretends not to notice her and scans her surroundings even further. " _Alex!_ "

"You're so embarassing," she giggles before pulling her older sister into a tight hug.

"I missed you, buddy!" Jeri exclaims, grabbing Alex's carry-on for her so she can pick up her luggage from baggage claim. "How was the flight?"

"Sat next to a snorer," she shrugs, and Jeri shoots her a sympathetic look with a pat on the back. "Where's the rest of the pack?"

"Jen's out of town with Ryan, and Mom and Dad went grocery shopping for dinner tonight," Jeri explains on their way to the car. "So tell me all about the wedding!" she says after hoisting Alex's stuff in the trunk, and they both slide into the driver and passenger seat, respectively.

"Uhh," Alex rubs the back of her neck before shooting Tobin a quick text she landed safely. "It was good. Syd looked amazing, obviously. But...yeah, I don't know. We all had a lot of fun."

Jeri nods. "Oh, and how was the road trip? Tobin texted me some pictures of you sleeping," she stifles a laugh, and Alex smirks before shaking her head.

"It was awesome," she says genuinely. "You know Tobin. She's one of the most entertaining people in the world." She swallows deeply, trying to push down the words fighting to make their way up and out of her throat.

"I miss her," Jeri whines, pulling out of the parking lot and navigating her way through all of the terminals. "When is she coming to family brunch again?"

"Mom asked me the same thing a few days ago," Alex murmurs, twirling her phone in her hand before clearing her throat. "Um, Jer."

"Hmm?"

"I, uh, I need to tell you something. But you can't tell a soul, especially Mom and Dad," Alex says, her voice serious, and Jeri glances over at her before furrowing her eyebrows together.

"Are you pregnant?"

"Oh my God, no, Jesus," Alex runs her face over her hands, her knee starting to bounce up and down. "Forget it. It doesn't matter."

"Hey, no, tell me," Jeri presses, lightly smacking Alex's arm, and Alex twirls a lock of her hair around her finger to stall time.

"Tobin and I slept together at the wedding," she whispers, and Jeri nearly rear-ends the car in front of them, slamming hard on the brakes.

"Al, are you screwing with me?" she interrogates seriously, and Alex lowers her gaze to her feet, shaking her head. "How did that happen?"

"Tequila and sexual tension build-up," Alex mumbles, and Jeri widens her eyes.

"Sexual tension build-up?" she repeats exaggeratedly. "What do you mean?"

"Do I really need to expand on this?" Alex snaps, and her older sister concedes.

"Ok, no, sorry," she breathes out. "I just...shit. I'm just surprised."

Alex doesn't know what else to say, so she doesn't say anything.

"So what happens now?" Jeri speaks up after a minute or so, and Alex sinks in her seat, groaning childishly.

"I don't know," she leans forward and rests her forehead onto the car's dashboard. "What am I supposed to do?"

Jeri drums her fingers on the steering wheel. "When you slept with her....did it, like...I don't know...did it mean something to you? Or did it just feel like another hook up?"

Alex sits back upright, strands of hair falling onto her forehead, and she lazily blows them away. "Of course it meant something," she shrugs. "It was Tobin. It-it meant..." she pinches her eyebrows together in concentration. "It meant everything. Even though I was drunk out of my mind."

"Wellll," Jeri flicks her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Sounds to me like you should give it a shot, then."

Alex feels her phone vibrating in her lap, swallowing when she sees Tobin's name illuminated onto the screen before clicking it off. "But what if I fuck it up?"

"Listen, Al," Jeri sighs deeply. "I know a lot about you. And one of those things I know is that you never let fear get in the way of fighting for something."

Alex frowns. She hates it when her sister has a point. But she counters by admitting, "Because I've never been so scared about losing what I'm fighting for."

* * *

"Ali Cat!" Alex's dad wraps his arms right around his youngest daughter and places a kiss on her forehead once she's done greeting her mom. "How's my little girl doing?"

"She's doing fine," Alex breathes out a laugh, straightening out her shirt once she's out of his grip.

"How was the road trip?" Pam asks, and Alex starts helping keep some of the groceries before stealing a glance at Jeri, who's hiding a smirk as she takes a hearty gulp out of a water bottle. "Any traffic?"

"Nah, not really," Alex takes a seat at the high counter in the middle of the kitchen. "It was fun," she says vaguely.

"How's Tobin doing by the way? We haven't seen her in ages," Mike leans against the counter and folds his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, I said the same thing in the car," Jeri speaks up, and Alex shoots her a subtly dangerous look before averting her gaze back to her dad.

"She's really good," she nods. "She says hi."

"Tell her-"

"That she's always welcome to visit?" Alex finishes her mom's sentence with an innocent smile. "Trust me, I'm still trying to convince her to get an apartment here or something."

"You think she would?" Jeri asks, and Alex shrugs.

"She loves the waves," she refers to Tobin's commitment to surfing whenever she's in town, ignoring the way Jeri whispers _she loves you too_ in her ear on her way out of the room.

* * *

"Hey, Al!" Tobin waves at the camera later that night when they FaceTime, donning her glasses and one of Alex's old, navy Cal sweatshirts. "Whaddup?"

Alex grins, breathing out a laugh. "Nothing much, just fresh off a Monopoly win against Jeri and my dad," she murmurs. "How's Jersey?"

"It's so sick, being back here with the fam," Tobin runs a hand through her hair and splays her fingers over her lips. "I miss you, though."

"I miss you more. You look good in navy," Alex smirks, and Tobin exaggeratedly rolls her eyes.

"The only reason I dared to touch this is because all my UNC sweatshirts are in the wash," she says, and Alex knows she's lying; Tobin has more UNC clothes than she has dresses, but she doesn't say anything.

"Alright, alright," she plays along, bursting out laughing when Tobin accidentally drops her phone on her face, and the screen goes dark so all Alex can hear is a groan. "Are you ok?" she keeps on laughing, and it takes Tobin awhile to regain her composure.

"Don't laugh," she tries to say seriously, but her chest starts to rumble with laughter of her own. "Shit, that hurt."

"Aw, do you want a kiss to make it better?" Alex pouts childishly.

"I would love one," Tobin brings her phone closer to her face, and Alex rolls her eyes before pressing her lips to the camera. "Weird, suddenly it doesn't hurt at all, anymore."

"Oh my God, you loser," Alex covers her face with her free hand, and Tobin's laugh fills up the darkness of her room.

They talk for so long Alex's phone starts to burn up in her hand, and she can tell Tobin's fighting the urge to let her eyes slip closed when she starts mumbling more than usual.

"Hey, I should let you go. It's, like, two in the morning over there," she acknowledges the three hour time difference between them, and Tobin shakes her head.

"No, no, I like talking to you," she says genuinely, but her eyes are half-shut.

Alex giggles. "I'll call you tomorrow, ok? I promise."

Tobin shoots her a sleepy smile and nods. "Ok. Goodnight, Al."

"Goodnight."

* * *

They talk the next day. And the day after that. But then it gets hard because they always seem to be on different schedules; whenever Alex wakes up, Tobin can't talk because she's out at lunch with her sisters. Whenever Tobin tries to call her afterwards, Alex can never stay on the line that long because she's out catching up with some of her college friends.

It gets to a point Alex has gone a full week without hearing from Tobin, and she hates to sound clingy, but she misses her voice more than anything.

She's getting coffee with Jeri one afternoon, and she tries her hardest to keep her undivided attention on Jeri's anecdote about some guy she met at a bar last week, but her phone keeps buzzing on the table.

"And then he was like-"

"Wait, sorry, Jer, can you hold on, for like, two seconds?" she interrupts, and Jeri frowns before her gaze lowers to Alex's phone, which continues to vibrate against the wood.

"Damn, is Tobin proposing to you?" her demeanor turns playful when she discovers the source of the distraction, and Alex kicks her lightly under the table before unlocking her phone and pulling up the messages.

_finally synced all the vids we took onto my phone!! :) can't wait to see u. 3 more sleeps._

_23 video attachments._

She grins so hard her cheeks get sore.

* * *

Her cheeks get even more sore when she watches every single one of the videos when she gets back home.

Then she watches every single one of them again before she goes to bed.

* * *

"Hate to see you go so soon, sweetie," Pam frowns days later as Mike helps Alex hoist her luggage out of the trunk of the car.

"I'll be back, Mom, I promise," Alex offers up a laugh before engulfing her parents into a bear hug, suddenly feeling like she's a little kid again, holding onto her mom and dad as if the whole world will fall apart if she lets go. "I'll give you a call when I land."

"Take care, Ali Cat," Mike jostles her head lightly, and Alex leans up to kiss his cheek before slinging her purse over her shoulder and grabbing her luggage, shooting them one last wave as she heads inside the airport.

* * *

Alex outstretches her legs in front of her as she sits at the gate, scrolling through her texts and clicking on the name of the person that's been invading her thoughts for the past few weeks.

Tobin hasn't responded to her last seven messages, and Alex runs a hand over her face at how stupid it makes her look.

_Videos are awesome, Tobs. Can't stop watching them!!_

_Can't sleep.You up?_

_Tobinnnnnn. I miss you._

_Update: My mom and dad can't shut up about how much they miss you either._

_Do you have my favorite pair of running shorts?_

_Only one more sleep!_

_What time do you fly into Seattle tomorrow?_

She frowns deeply, suddenly clicking her phone off and trapping it underneath her thigh.

She chews on her thumbnail and tries not to let it bother her; Tobin rarely checks her phone anyway.

But then again, Alex saw her liking a bunch of photos on Instagram last night, and when she tried to give her a call, there was no answer.

She absentmindedly tugs at the strings of her hoodie. Maybe Tobin shutting her out is her way of saying she thought about the prospect of the two of them being anything more than friends, and she thinks it's a horrible idea.

Or, like any other normal person would, she decided to focus on her family the last 4 days, and hasn't gotten the chance to look at her phone.

Alex slumps her shoulders and sinks in her chair.

She hates overthinking.

* * *

She shares a room with Christen, quickly claiming the window bed and tiredly plopping down onto the sheets.

Still nothing from Tobin.

"Al, I'm gonna head down to Kelley's room, you wanna come with?" Christen grabs her attention, and Alex drops her phone beside her before shaking her head.

"Nah, I'm good. I didn't get much sleep on the flight, I might just take a quick nap."

"Ok, I'll text you if we grab some lunch," Christen takes her key card and shoots Alex a wave before vacating the room.

Alex rolls over onto her side, letting her hair fall into her eyes before drifting them closed, succumbing into a light slumber.

There's a light knock on the door half an hour later, and she groans into her pillow, hoisting herself up from the bed and dragging her feet to the door, peeking an eye through the peep hole.

She swallows deeply when she sees Tobin clutching onto a bouquet of crunched-up flowers, nervously shifting on the balls of her feet.

She straightens out her hair with her fingers and smooths down her shirt, heaving out a sigh before swinging the door open. "Hey."

"Hey," Tobin breathes out. "Listen, uh, I'm sorry I've been kind of MIA the last few days." She scratches the back of her head with her free hand.

"I thought you were mad at me or something," Alex murmurs, leaning against the doorframe.

"No, no, I wasn't," Tobin says quickly. "I...I was just thinking. About...the two of us."

Alex purses her lips together and nods, unsure as to what she's supposed to say.

"Shit, I'm not good at this," Tobin runs a hand over her face. "Ok," she regroups, and Alex musters up the energy to suppress a tiny smile. "The thought of losing you scares me shitless," she starts, racking her brain for the right words to say before continuing. "But...frankly, the thought of not even giving us a chance scares me a lot more." She gazes down at the flowers in her hand. "So, yeah. That's that. If you agree, you can take these. If you don't, I guess you can still take them. I bought them for you, but then I fell asleep on them. Wow, this must look kind of stupid-"

Realizing she needs to tether Tobin back down to Earth, Alex quickly tugs her into the room and crashes their lips together, causing the flowers to slip from Tobin's hand.

Tobin sucks lightly on Alex's bottom lip, and Alex tangles her fingers in the midfielder's hair before pulling away for air. "Ask me out on a date," she says playfully, and Tobin smirks.

"Alex Morgan, will you go on a date with me?"

Alex plants a quick kiss on the side of Tobin's mouth before mumbling against her lips, "Yes."

* * *

"Hey, Al?" Tobin speaks in the darkness of the room the night before they leave Orlando.

"Hmm?" Alex hums against Tobin's collarbone, her eyelids threatening to slip shut.

"Do you have a crush on me?"

Alex smiles softly. "A huge one." She can feel Tobin's grin against the crown of hair.

"I have a huge crush on you, too."

* * *

They don't have a huge, dramatic announcement. They don't release a statement to the press or publicly declare their love for each other after a game.

Instead, when the time comes, Alex snaps a picture of the two of them on her phone; she's donning the oversized t-shirt Tobin got her from Vail, and Tobin's in a gray Cal hoodie she stole from Alex's closet.

Alex is grinning at the camera with her tongue jutting out between her teeth, and Tobin's mid-laugh, her smile so big it reaches her eyes.

The picture's so blurry it looks like it was taken by a five-year-old, but she posts it to Instagram anyway, with the caption _My world. So lucky to love you._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm kind of sad this is all over, so i decided to write another thing. should be out in the distant future. 
> 
> also, thanks for sticking around with me for the entirety of this story. it's been fun. 
> 
> one last thing and i'll shut up: i recently and impulsively made a tumblr so come chat at oharaheaths.tumblr.com


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